


and still, we stand

by cl410



Series: Legacy [8]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Teen Wolf (TV), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: BAMF Darcy Lewis, BAMF Jane Foster, BAMF Stiles, Canon-Typical Violence, Darcy Lewis & Stiles Stilinski Friendship, Darcy Lewis is Tony Stark's Daughter, Darcy Lewis-centric, Fae Jane Foster, Found Family, Full Shift Werewolves, Jane Foster & Darcy Lewis Friendship, Magic Darcy Lewis, Magical Stiles Stilinski, Spark Darcy Lewis, Spark Stiles Stilinski, The Hale Pack - Freeform, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Women Being Awesome, original characters of color
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-21
Updated: 2018-12-22
Packaged: 2019-08-05 10:31:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 71,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16366217
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cl410/pseuds/cl410
Summary: Darcy Lewis, Agent of Stark Industries Supernatural Division.Naomi Okoro, Babysitter of Dragons.





	1. Darcy

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with yet another part to this series! Judging by all of your earlier responses, you guys won't be too disappointed by this :) 
> 
> This fic will have alternating Darcy and Naomi chapters, because Naomi demanded her own story as well and boy, let me tell you, it's gonna be a wild ride. I'll do my best to keep to my regular update schedule, with occasional extra scenes in the one-shot collection. 
> 
> Love you all for your constant support ❤️

**Darcy**  

Bucky’s voice was a low whisper in her earpiece. “Target has entered the premises.”

The young woman beside Darcy rolled her eyes to the night sky. “Do we always have to be so dramatic about this?” Imani Wells sighed. Darcy shot her an amused glance, noting that the usually composed druid was tapping her fingers nervously against her thigh.

“With this crew, yes, I’m afraid,” Darcy told her. She bumped her elbow into Imani’s side. “Don’t worry, Imani. Bucky’s in there already and we’ve got Clint as overwatch across the street.”

“With a big ol’ gun,” Clint drawled. “I’ve got you covered, kid.”

Some of the tension faded from Imani’s stance. The budding plants at her feet- tiny slips of grass creeping through cracks in the asphalt- slowed their rapid growth. The druid smiled sheepishly at Darcy when she noticed. “Sorry, Darce.”

“It’s normal to be nervous before a mission,” Darcy told her reassuringly. “And we’ve been doing this for years longer than you.”

Imani scrunched up her face skeptically. “Luring creepy men out of bars?”

“All the time, girlie,” Clint said on a sigh.

Darcy huffed a laugh even as she double checked her weapons, hidden in her carefully designed outfit. Leather pants, ribbed on the thighs to allow for thin blades strapped to the garter underneath. A specialized, SI-constructed bra- with a convenient knife sheath at the back. A loose shirt to hide any other surprises she’d brought along, one that dipped low enough to reveal a tantalizing amount of skin.

Enough to thoroughly distract men like Garrett Jones.

Imani adjusted her own outfit, a sparkling silver dress that hugged every inch of her body and highlighted the warm brown of her skin. The girl’s afro was an explosion of curls above bright brown eyes, a freckled face, and a full mouth painted deep purple.

“Ready?” Darcy asked, stepping out of the shadows of the alleyway.

“Let’s go.” Imani followed her confidently across the street to the shady establishment. She fished her ID out of her bra with a wink at the pink-cheeked bouncer. Darcy shoved her own back into her waistband and slipped through the doorway.

Imani sucked in a breath at the sight of the interior. Darcy winced a little in agreement- this was the worst kind of strip joint. Seedy clientele, hollow-eyed dancers, miserable waitresses. Plus, the place reeked of smoke and sex.

Bucky sat alone at a dark corner table, hunched over an untouched beer. He didn’t look up at their entrance, but somehow Darcy still felt his entire attention focused on their progress to the bar.

She leaned over, caught the bartender’s attention, and noticed that across the bar, Garrett Jones’s eyes dropped to stare down her shirt.

Imani leaned against the bar beside her, eyeing the rest of the club over Darcy’s shoulder. “You take me to the nicest places, babe,” she murmured.

Darcy bit down on a grin and watched closely as the bartender popped the tops off of two beers. She took a sip of the stale brew as Imani squinted over at the strippers on stage.

“You’ve got his attention,” Bucky said through her earpiece. “He’s comin’ over.” Imani cocked her head to watch Garrett rise from his stool and make his way over to them.

“I’d tell you to be yourself, Darce,” Clint said next, teasing. “But that almost got us all killed last time.”

“Eat me,” Darcy muttered. She heard Bucky cough to disguise a laugh and turned to face Garrett as he settled comfortably in her personal space. Imani raised a brow at his arrogance but said nothing, just directed her disdainful stare his way.

“Now, this isn’t a place I’d expect two nice girls like yourselves to be,” Garrett leered. Imani snorted.

Darcy stepped on the other girl’s foot and smiled at Garrett, flicking her eyes over the man’s tight t-shirt. He preened a little at the attention. She let him think what he wanted, too busy cataloging the weapons hidden in his clothes to care.

Imani trailed a manicured hand down Darcy’s arm and pressed her body appealingly against the spark. “I was bored at home,” she said, sulky. “She promised me a good time.” Darcy swallowed, a little hot under the collar as Imani curled her body around her.

Garrett’s interest piqued, the rest of the club falling out of his focus as he stared greedily at the two women. “Oh yeah?” He asked with all the confidence of a man convinced he was about to get laid.

Imani slipped a hand underneath Darcy’s shirt, palming the small of her back with a sultry glance towards Garrett. Darcy took another sip of her drink, impressed and amused with the druid’s acting skills.

“I did promise you,” Darcy agreed lowly. She felt Imani hide a wicked smile against her shoulder when Garrett leaned forward excitedly. She glanced sideways at the man- the target- and raised a brow. “Got any plans tonight, handsome?”

Garrett was too distracted to answer for a moment, back to staring down her shirt. “Just a quick meeting,” he mumbled. “Five minutes and then I’m free all night, baby.”

“A meeting? Here?” Imani asked, wrinkling her nose.

“Just passing along some information,” he assured her with a wink. “It’s classified business, honey, don’t worry your pretty little head about it.”

Imani’s carefully crafted pout dissolved into a lethal stare. Darcy interjected quickly, in case the moron managed to tear his eyes away from the girl’s silver-wrapped curves and notice. “How about something to tide us over then, hmm?” She looked up from underneath her eyelashes, teeth pressed into her bottom lip. He seemed to be struck dumb for a moment.

Garrett’s phone buzzed before he could answer. He picked it up, scanned the message, and tucked it away. “This’ll only take a minute, sweetheart. Don’t go anywhere, now.” He swaggered off towards the alley exit.

“Hold,” Bucky ordered. Darcy and Imani did. They were rewarded when a second man stood from a nearby table and followed Garrett out the door. “Go.”

Bucky disappeared down the hallway to the private rooms, headed for whatever exit he’d scouted earlier. Darcy and Imani split up, Imani sliding out the front door with a friendly smile to the bouncer.

Darcy carefully inched the alley door open, ignoring a scowling dancer that passed by. She activated the rune on her skin and Imani’s, who stepped around the corner of the building just then. The two men stood close in the dark alley, speaking in low voices.

“- not what we agreed!” Garrett whispered furiously.

The other man, dressed in a nondescript suit, was unruffled by his outrage. “The price has changed,” he said calmly. “Your information isn’t worth what you’re asking. Now, if you had brought me a specimen like you’d promised, we would have been willing to negotiate.”

“You think it’s easy to catch these things?” Garrett objected, voice rising. “They’re _monsters._ You don’t have the skill to do it yourself, obviously, and you don’t know half of what you think you do.” He poked the man in the chest. “You’re just a paper-pusher. I want to talk to your boss.”

“That’s not going to happen. Not until you give us what we asked for.”

“I’m working on it, okay? I’m close to catching…” Garrett trailed off when Darcy dropped the runes and appeared in the alleyway with them. The unfamiliar man tensed, looking between Darcy and Imani with caution.

“Close to catching what, Garrett?” Darcy asked. She smiled with all of her teeth, a wolf’s grin. Imani copied it, leaning artfully against the mouth of the alley. The asphalt at her feet crumbled as plants forced their way through to wind adoringly along the druid’s legs.

“You brought them here?” The man hissed. His hand slipped into his jacket pocket. Darcy saw it curl around a pistol even as he angled himself away from her.

Garrett looked between the women, realization finally dawning. Darcy flicked a glance at Imani, who nodded and reached for the small leaf pressed behind her ear.

“Who are you?” Garrett blustered. “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, little girl, but-”

“Oh, enough already,” Imani snapped. She stepped forward, the dried leaf crumbled in her hand. She lifted her hand and blew the palm full of earth and dust into the faces of both men. Darcy watched as both men choked, clawing at their throats, and collapsed.

“Huh.” Darcy cocked her head as she studied the unconscious men, impressed. “Remind me to thank Malik when we get back.”

Imani rolled her eyes fondly, a common gesture when it came to her twin. “He’ll be thrilled yet another experiment was successful,” she said dryly.

A quiet thump from above had both of them stepping back. Darcy looked up in time to see Bucky toss two more men over the rooftop. They landed with a brutal crunch. Bucky leapt over the roof after them, landing easily from the one story drop. “The suit had backup.”

“You think they’re Hydra?” Darcy asked grimly. Bucky nodded, short and sharp.

Imani sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Shit. So this dickhead was selling us out?” She kicked Garrett’s unconscious body.

Darcy frowned. “I don’t think he was onto _us,”_ she said. “It sounded like he was trying to catch something else for them.”

“But what?” Imani glanced around. “I mean, it’s not like-”

“Contact,” Clint’s voice said sharply through the comms. “Something’s moving towards you, fast. Comin’ from the east.”

Bucky spun to face the mouth of the alley, weapons drawn. Darcy followed suit, sliding two long, deadly knives quickly out of the bra sheath between her shoulder blades. Imani, as per her training exercises, placed herself between Darcy and Bucky. As the least experienced fighter, she’d be safest between them. It would also allow her the space and time to work her magic without distraction.

A long, shrill howl echoed down the narrow space. Another joined it in a chilling harmony. “Hellhounds,” Darcy said tightly. “He was trying to lure Hellhounds.” Imani took a shaky breath next to Darcy.

“Easy,” Bucky murmured.

“Imani, when they attack, try to slow them down,” Darcy instructed calmly. She spun her knives comfortably in her hands, braced for the fight. “However you can.”

“Okay,” the druid whispered back. Her brown eyes were laced with vibrant green. Darcy heard the soft crackle of asphalt breaking apart at their feet, the earth responding eagerly to Imani’s call.

“Can you drag these guys out of the way so we’re not tripping on them?” Darcy pointed a knife at the unconscious pile of men. Imani narrowed her eyes in concentration. Moments later, vines crept from the end of the alley to wrap around the agents and Garrett. Darcy stepped aside as the vines dragged them back, all the way to the dead end.

Two shadows materialized just then, the familiar smoke solidifying into enormous creatures with eerie red eyes. A growl rippled down the alley towards them, raising the hair on Darcy’s arms. She let her eyes bleed gold in response, flashing a challenge at the Hellhounds.

They moved faster than anything she’d ever seen.

Even after months of hunting the dogs of Hell with her SI division, Darcy struggled to keep track of the pair. Bucky slammed a fist into the chest of one that leaped at him. It tumbled back with a choked off growl.

A snarl sounded from beside her. Darcy struck, blade glinting in the dark. A yelp. She whirled aside and stepped fully in front of Imani as the Hellhound regained its feet. It bled freely from a long wound along its side, filling the air with a metallic, smoky scent custom to Hellhound blood. Blood and sulfur, a demon with tainted origins.

Darcy’s spark wound around her arm with a hum of power. She lifted a hand and sent a bolt of raw magic down the alley. There was a sizzling sound, followed by another yelp. The strike left a hint of ozone left in the air.

Imani turned at Darcy’s back to direct her vines towards Bucky’s opponent. The Hellhound tried to yank its feet free from the tangle of weeds and vines, leaning down to snap powerful jaws at the restraints. Bucky closed in.

The other Hellhound noticed the unconscious group and whirled around, mouth open wide. Darcy reached for the shadows surrounding them and let the dark close in on her. It was only a short distance to shadow travel, but it gave her the edge of speed and surprise that she needed.

Darcy materialized in front of the lunging Hellhound. She ducked the open mouth, saw its eyes widen in shock, and slammed both blades deep into its exposed neck. It dropped with a solid thud to the ground.

She turned to see Bucky cleaning off his own knife, the Hellhound motionless at his feet. Imani wrinkled her nose at both of them, crossing her arms to hide the way her hands trembled. Bucky sheathed his blade and rested a gloved hand on her shoulder. “You did great.” Imani ducked her head, pleased.

Darcy crouched beside Garrett, fishing around in his pockets. She pulled out a hex bag and tossed it aside with a huff of disgust. “Hex bag to lure the Hellhounds. What a dumbass.” Bucky joined her, working fast to tie the men up.

“How was Garrett expecting that to go down, I wonder,” Imani mused.

“It wouldn’t have gone well,” Darcy said in agreement. “Hunter or not, he wouldn’t be able to hold his own against two Hellhounds.”

“What the hell does Hydra want with them, though?”

“That’s a good question,” Clint said from the street. His sniper rifle was hidden, broken down into small components that he could hide in his uniform. “We’ll ask them that first, when they wake up.” He nodded towards their prisoners.

“Imani,” Darcy said. “Can you do the thing?”

Imani sighed. “You know I hate it.”

“I know, babe, but we can’t just leave two Hellhound carcasses lying around.” She made a sympathetic face when Imani drooped.

“Fine. Everybody step back,” she said dully. They obeyed. Imani raised her hands, one palm outstretched towards each dead Hellhound. As they watched, the bodies began to crumble apart. The process of decay, occurring over a span of minutes rather than months and years. Imani’s greatest gift, and most hated.

Darcy shook her head in awe as the Hellhounds disintegrated entirely, leaving behind a tiny array of budding flowers. “So cool,” she said.

Imani dropped her hands and surveyed her work with reluctant satisfaction. “Much better.”

Clint grinned at her and touched a finger to his earpiece. “Alpha Team, requesting extraction for multiple targets.”

They all heard Danny’s composed response. “Affirmative, Alpha Team. Sending the Bus now. ETA six minutes.”

Darcy turned her attention to her armband tattoo. The runes shifted lazily on her skin, breaking apart and reforming into the intended runes. The finished group lit bright gold on her skin. “We’re clear,” she said.

Imani leaned over to squint down at the runes. “Hiding... reflecting? No. God, I’m so bad at these.” She tapped a manicured fingernail on the two golden runes. “‘Hide us from the ones without knowledge’?”

“Pretty much, yeah,” Darcy told her. “Anyone who isn’t a supernatural or affiliate passing by won’t see a thing.”

“But everyone else will?”

“Hard to say. Probably, because the intention is to keep us hidden from those who aren’t in the know. It’s easier to block the sight of those who wouldn’t know what they’re seeing anyway, rather than anyone. A supe would know to look past it.” Darcy shrugged. “It’s not an exact science.”

“What did you give these guys?” Bucky asked from the end of the alley. He stood with his hands on his hips, observing the motionless prisoners. “They’re still out cold.”

“Who knows,” Imani said. “Malik created it and grew it on his own. I doubt it’s even a known species. Or a legitimate one.”

“The important thing is that it works.” Darcy tipped her head to the side to admire Bucky’s muscled frame in his tight-fitted jeans and henley. He caught her looking and raised a brow, face impassive but humor in his eyes. Darcy smiled innocently back at him.

“Bus is here,” Clint said. A black van with an SI cleaning company logo on it (because Tony thought he was hilarious) idled on the street. The driver, part Fae talented with engines, pressed a button to slide back the side panel doors.

“Darce,” Bucky grunted as he lifted the first man. Clint tossed another over his shoulder. Darcy adjusted her runes to include the bouncer still standing outside. She stepped out of the alleyway and watched carefully, though the bouncer seemed entirely unaware of their presence.

“Clear,” Darcy murmured. They moved immediately, tossing the Hydra agents and Garrett into the van. Clint climbed into the back seat to monitor them on the way back to the tower, sending a wink their way before the door closed. The van drove off, turning the corner and disappearing.

“Well,” Imani said happily. “That went pretty damn smoothly, all things considered.”

“Alpha Team, signing off.” Bucky slipped his earpiece into his pocket and smiled down at Darcy while she did the same. “Let’s debrief in the morning, hm?”

Darcy brightened. “Date night?” She wrapped her arms around his waist and grinned up at him. “Let’s go get a burger, I’m starving.” They glanced over at Imani, who stood to the side and fiddled quietly with her rings. “You coming?”

Imani looked up, surprised. “You want me to come on your date night with you?” She asked skeptically.

“It’s sort of a tradition after a successful mission,” Darcy explained.

“And most of our date nights are crashed within ten minutes anyway, by at least three of the pack,” Bucky added. “You’re welcome to come, if you’d like.”

“Okay,” Imani said, a little shyly. “I’m down.”

Bucky slid an arm over Darcy’s shoulders and offered Imani his elbow. She looked somewhat delighted by the gesture and wrapped her hand around it. “Man, you old guys are so polite,” she marveled as they walked away from the club.

Darcy laughed. Bucky sighed heavily, but the corners of his mouth tugged upwards. “These damn youth,” he drawled, making Imani laugh.

She directed them to a nearby diner. “We used to live around here,” she told them as a waiter led them to the large corner booth. Darcy and Bucky slid into the side facing the door. Imani, already used to this, paused briefly until everyone was settled. “Malik and I would stop here on our way to school in the mornings, at least until Ma got sick.”

“Imani, honey, how have you been?” The older woman behind the counter stepped around it with wide eyes. Imani leapt up and hugged her.

“I’m good, Jeanette,” she promised. “Malik and I, we’re working for Stark Industries now.”

Jeanette pressed a hand to her chest. “Stark? Oh, _that_ must be why we haven’t seen you two around,” she teased gently. “You’re off makin’ the big bucks now.”

Imani ducked her head, smiling wide. “Something like that.” She gestured to Darcy and Bucky. “These are my coworkers, Darcy and James.”

“Friends,” Darcy corrected. She waved to Jeanette as Bucky stood to shake the woman’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you.”

“You, too,” Jeanette said, eyeing Bucky appreciatively. “Y’all sit down, now, I’ll go get you something to drink. Coffee?”

“Decaf, please. Otherwise we’ll be up all night.”

“Can’t have that,” Jeanette agreed, and left to put on a fresh pot. Imani sniffed a little, turning her face towards the window for a moment. Darcy skimmed through her phone as Bucky looked around the diner, giving the druid a minute to collect herself.

“Clint said they made it back,” Darcy reported. She thumbed through the list of texts. “And that he’s going to start the interrogations with Nat and Maria.”

Bucky made an aborted movement, like he’d been about to stand and leave. Darcy placed a hand on his arm. “They’ve got it,” she said softly. “They don’t need us there.” Working closely with Hydra agents hurt Bucky in ways she couldn’t protect him from, sent him spiraling back into a place of helpless rage and shame.

He settled back again, jaw tight. Darcy pressed herself against his side, comforting him in the only way she knew how. It seemed to help, because he was almost entirely relaxed again by the time Erica and Boyd showed up with Steve in tow.

“I’m going to eat everything in sight,” Erica warned them. She lowered herself into the booth beside Imani, one hand on her stomach. “Baby Boyd has an endless appetite.” Boyd handed her a portable heating pad to slide behind her back and then sat beside her. Erica moaned in relief, so lewdly that Steve blushed and nearly missed the seat.

Bucky grinned. “How’d you get roped into comin’ along?” He asked Steve.

“I was volunteered to help move furniture,” Steve said wryly. “Apparently everyone else was smart enough to escape but me.”

Erica patted him on the arm. “That’s what super strength is for.”

“Getting bossed around for three and a half hours?” Boyd said with a commiserating look with Steve.

“Yes,” Erica said primly. “Plus, it wasn’t _all_ moving furniture. Steve got a lot painted in the nursery. It looks fantastic, Darce, I can’t wait for you to see it.” Erica and Boyd had moved into the third apartment on Darcy’s floor following the pregnancy news, after the previous tenant had graduated college and left.

“Me either.” Darcy clapped her hands together. “God, I can’t believe you’re due in just a couple months. It’s gone by so fast.”

“For you, maybe,” Erica grumbled. “I’ve been hungry and cranky for six months straight.”

“But not puking,” Darcy said cheerfully.

“True,” Erica allowed. “You’d make a fortune off of that rune. I swear we need to sell it as a charm at the store.”

“No work,” Boyd reminded his wife. “You over do it again and the doctor will put you on bedrest.”

“Ugh.” Erica slumped down in the booth. She nudged Imani in the side with a friendly smile. “How’d it go tonight?”

“Fine.” Imani tipped a shoulder in a modest shrug.

Darcy snorted. _“Fine._ Yeah, right. She kicked ass.”

“Hey!” Erica cheered, holding her hand up for a high five. Imani cooperated for it. “Way to go! I am very proud, and also jealous.” She propped a hand on her chin and blinked excitedly at Imani. “Tell me everything. I have to live through you guys until Baby Boyd finally decides to come along.”

Imani brightened. She glanced at Darcy and Bucky, who nodded that it was okay to explain, and leaned in to reenact the night’s events for her amused audience.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a collection of new OCs (including Imani) that I'm VERY excited about introducing. 
> 
> Also, Garrett is not related to the dude from AoS. He's actually based off of a brief and terrible experience I had with a man in a bar a while back that I decided maybe needed to be killed off in my next story. Because I'm passive aggressive like that.


	2. Naomi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Naomi's parts will take place a couple months before Darcy's does, and then it will catch up. 
> 
> For reference, according to English > Persian Google translate  
> Sentinel: نگهبان  
> Spark: جرقه

**Naomi**

Naomi stared down at the pile of books scattered across Vahid’s lair. She leaned down to pick up one with a tattered spine, surprised by its weight. Some of the books had been damaged in the fall, disturbed after centuries left uncared for in the underground room. Many of them were mostly dust, at this point.

Vahid peered over her shoulder at the heavy tome. “Ah. Yes, I believe you dropped that one on my head first.”

Naomi winced a little, apologetic. “It was an accident.”

“I should hope so,” Vahid said, humor in his eyes. “That was a very large pile of books you knocked over.”

“Excuse me for not realizing the weird lump in the corner was a _dragon_ head,” Naomi muttered. She’d assumed the dark shape was decoration, something to honor the dead buried above, to guard their spirit in the afterlife.

But no. It was a dragon, curled around the room like a cat napping in the sun. Because of course it was.

Vahid was still watching her closely, intent on her careful grip on the book. “Oh.” Somewhat flustered, Naomi gently set the book back down. “Sorry, you probably don’t want me touching any of your treasure in here.” Or other things, such as the elaborately decorated tomb across the room, an exact replica of the one upstairs. Or maybe that was the replica and this was the real thing, the grave site of someone who had been deeply loved.

“I am oddly unbothered by it, actually,” Vahid said. He frowned thoughtfully at her. “And I am usually very possessive of my hoard.”

There was a brief pause while Naomi deliberated. “Yeah, no, I’m not touching that with a ten foot pole.” She pointed a finger at him in warning when he just cocked his head at her. “Don’t read into it.” Naomi stalked off to assess the damage dealt when she’d initially woken him.   


~*~  THEN ~*~

_There was a flurry of movement in front of her. Naomi looked up in time to see a pair of silver-edged eyes gleaming in the dark corner turn a volcanic black, and then everything went dark._

She woke what couple have been minutes or hours later. Naomi groaned at the throbbing ache in her head, one hand slowly rising to carefully press assessing fingers to the worst of the pain. She opened her eyes and blinked at the high marble arches of the tomb’s ceiling, feeling dazed.

And promptly yelped in alarm when she found a man’s face peering down at her.

“عذرخواهی من.” His voice was a smooth tenor, his tone earnest.

Naomi blinked at him, bewildered. “What?” She asked dumbly. “I don’t- what?”

“My apologies,” he said in accented English. He grimaced as though embarrassed when Naomi drew back fingers wet with blood. “I am afraid you startled me a great deal.”

 _“I_ startled you?” Naomi asked, drawing back cautiously.

“Yes, when you woke me.”

Abruptly, Naomi recalled a flash of silver eyes before she’d lost consciousness. Gingerly, she sat up. The man said nothing when she inched backwards, though he seemed slightly puzzled by her wariness. A glance to the corner of the room showed the massive shadow had disappeared, leaving a strange emptiness to the room.

There was, however, a long hole in the far wall, as though something very large and very strong had slammed into it. Naomi swallowed, trying not to let her nerves show. “You were down here?” She said, proud of how evenly her voice came out.

The man seemed perplexed. He cocked his head, studying her with feline interest. And silver eyes, Naomi noted. She quietly reached for her spark. “Yes. I was asleep, at least until you pushed all of my books onto my head.”

His own eyes brightened with interest when hers glowed gold. “Oh! You are نگهبان!”

Naomi blinked at him. “Was… was that Farsi?” She scrunched up her face, trying to think past the ache in her head.

“Farsi? What is Farsi?” The man frowned, the corners of his full lips drawing down.

“The language you were just speaking in,” Naomi said hesitantly. The runes on her thigh lit up brightly enough to shine through her loose linen pants as she healed the cut on her head. The man’s gaze dropped to the glowing sigil and then back to her face.

“No, it is my first language. Persian,” he said as though it were obvious.

Oh, holy fuck. Naomi felt her eyes widen. “Persian?” She croaked. “As in Old Persian?” From the Persian Empire- before the language had transitioned into today’s Farsi, if she recalled correctly.

 _“Old_ Persian?” The man folded gracefully onto the ground in front of her. “نگهبان, what century is this?”

“Um. The twenty first,” Naomi said hesitantly. Something flashed across his face, too fast for her to read the expression before it smoothed back into the polite interest. “نگهبان,” she tried. “Does that mean Sentinel, by any chance?”

“It does,” he said absently. “Or some variation of it. Arbiter, Sentinel, they are all titles of the Guardians.” He refocused on her. “The twenty first century,” he mused. “I have slept much longer than intended.”

“Slept…” Naomi stared at him. “What _are_ you?”

He tipped his head to the side. “Have you never met a dragon shifter before?”

At first, Naomi thought her internal screaming was her _actually_ screaming in reality, but the dragon was still sitting across from her, blinking at her stunned face in the silent lair. He peered closer at her when she only sat frozen.

“نگهبان?” He prompted after a long pause.

“So… you were shifted, when I first came down?” Naomi asked.

“Yes. Until you dropped the books on my head, anyway. I admit I woke with more aggression than is typical of my kind. I was very much not expecting you to be standing in my lair. You took me by surprise, which is why I lashed out. Again, نگهبان, please accept my apologies.”

And just like that, the urgency came back to Naomi. “I’m sorry,” she said honestly. “I didn’t… I had no idea you were- that there was a-” She cut off, frustrated with herself. Naomi took a breath for composure and tried again. “I didn’t mean to wake you, and I’m very sorry. But I have to go.”

“Go?” He asked. Naomi felt her spark crackle dangerously in her chest, rising in response to the amused lilt in the dragon’s voice. “You broke into my lair, woke me from a centuries long slumber, and now-” he leaned to the side, squinting at the book in her hand. “You are also stealing a book from my hoard?”

“Yes,” Naomi said, composed despite the warning creeping up her spine. “I have a Fae invasion to stop and can’t waste any more time.”

He sobered at that and stood gracefully, studied her closely for another moment, and then offered, “My name is Vahid Tehrani.”

“Nice to meet you,” Naomi said tersely. If it came down to a fight… How exactly did one beat a dragon? Fuck, she didn’t have time for this. Stiles and Darcy could be _dying_ right now, trying and failing to close a portal to Hell alone.

“I have a great deal of knowledge,” he said. Naomi stepped a little closer to the entrance. “Knowledge I would be willing to share with you, in exchange for your guidance through this new century in which I have found myself.”

Naomi paused. Thought of all the possibilities awaiting her, with the monsters lurking near the convergence, waiting for the portal to open. She turned back. “What do you know about Hellmouths?”

~*~  NOW ~*~

 

“Your wards are very strong,” Vahid complimented. “No one has discovered the entrance to my lair, despite leaving it unattended for weeks.” They’d spent a lot of time flying- the normal, _human_ way, on _planes-_ back from the US back to Kuwait. She’d given them an extra night at every stop over for Vahid, allowing him to explore cities and human customs in this new century.

“I’ve had a lot of practice,” Naomi said absently. After Alec’s death, she’d poured herself into learning and creating every possible variation of protective wards. She smiled, bittersweet. That hollow place inside of her, left by her husband’s death, seemed a little less so today.

“When did you first discover your magic?” Vahid asked casually.

“I was thirteen,” Naomi said. “It was… a difficult year.”

“You were not happy to discover your spark?” He questioned, watching her with curiosity.  

“I was, I just…” She paused, glancing briefly at his gentle expression. “I was born into the wrong body,” Naomi said. She’d decided early on that that was the easiest way to explain it- the sense of _wrongness_ she’d felt as long as she could remember. When she’d spent hours staring at her body, wondering why it made her feel faintly sick, like it wasn’t _hers,_ didn’t match who her heart and mind told her she was. The way she’d watched her mother and other women and knew that was who she was- a _woman,_ no matter that her born body told her otherwise.

She remembered trembling hands and wet eyes and the feeling of something hot caught in the back of her throat, like the war inside of her was clawing its way out. It burned hotter with every moment spent staring at the mirror, wishing desperately for change.

“A god of mischief at work,” Vahid hummed. He caught her baffled look. “Even when I was young, there were humans such as yourself. A trickster god tapped them in the womb, trapping them in the wrong body, one that did not match their spirit.”

“I don’t know much about trickster gods,” Naomi said with a half-smile, staring down at the books in her hand. “But that sounds right, I guess.”

“Of course, many in my culture- dragon culture,” he amended, “we do not believe in definitive genders the way humans do. You are who you are, no matter what little box the humans try to put you in.”

“Now that’s an ideal I could get behind.”

“So maybe dragons are not entirely stupid lizards?” Vahid asked slyly.

Naomi laughed. She looked up, grinning, and met his bright silver eyes. “No, I guess they’re not too bad.”

“What next, then?” He asked, shoving his hands into the pockets of his tailored slacks. She’d tried to introduce him to the variety of human clothing in the 21st century, but he’d taken one admiring look at the mirror in a floral suit and insisted on nothing else- until they’d found a dark red velvet, floor-length dress, anyway.

 _Apparently_ dragons liked to look pretty. Naomi often found herself wondering what she’d done in a past life to deserve this.

Naomi set the books aside and sighed. “Next, we try and talk a friend of mine out of hiding.”

“Another نگهبان?”

“He’s a spark, yes. Sentinel... not so much anymore.” Few of the old guard acknowledged the title- much less deserved it. Naomi had been raised a spark in the middle of the supernatural war. She’d learned from teachers all over the world, until one by one, they’d all disappeared. Only her parent’s determination to find answers for their daughter and Naomi's own ingenuity kept her alive through the worst of it.

Until Alec. And then she’d let herself fade away from the world, just as dozens before her.

Naomi tamped down the regret and shame and gestured towards the winding staircase. “I’m ready if you are.” They’d spent a day already here, repairing the damage dealt when a fifty foot dragon flailed around like a limp noodle in the beautiful, elegant lair.

Vahid paused. He seemed to struggle with himself for a minute, torn by some internal conflict. He turned back, drifting silently across the marble floor until he reached the extravagant tomb on a small platform at the back of the lair. Naomi remained quiet, moving a respectful distance away to give him a moment.

He traced his fingers reverently along the slab of beautiful black stone. Vahid spoke at length, his voice too soft to let the words carry through the room though his gentle cadence reached her ears. A goodbye, maybe, or a tribute of devotion to the spirit of the person buried within.

Naomi let the faint murmur of the beautiful, ancient language wash over her. She closed her eyes and leaned back against the cool stone wall. He hadn’t said anything about the person resting within the tomb, but she could hazard a guess. They’d been important- enough so to have a decoy in the room above while the real person was laid to rest with their dragon guarding them.

Someone loved more than life itself. She remembered that feeling, too. Just as she recalled the devastating, crippling loss when Alec died. Like she’d been gutted, her heart torn out and her breath stolen away.

“You are familiar with grief,” Vahid said from close by. She opened her eyes, startled, to find him studying her from a few feet away. She hadn’t noticed him stop speaking, let alone approaching.

Naomi met his intense silver gaze. “All  نگهبان know grief.” She thought of Darcy, of Stiles, of the sparks she’d known before. “Grief and loss and pain.”

“I regret that you have suffered such.” Surprised by the confession, Naomi could only blink at him. Vahid looked determinedly away, the tips of his ears pink. “I only mean that you are very young, to have experienced so much.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” Naomi managed eventually. “Considering your vast experience and age.” He gave her a sideways look. “What’s it like, being immortal, anyway?”

Vahid glanced back at the tomb again. “Lonely,” he murmured. “Everyone you love passes on and you are left with nothing but fading memories.”

She understood that all too well. Naomi led the way back up the winding stairs, touching her fingertips to the runes on the walls. They hummed to life, lighting the passageway in a dim golden hue. “What about the other dragons?” She asked as they reached the top.

Vahid looked distastefully at the raided tomb site. “I am uncertain as to their fate,” he admitted. “We were already few, before. And a great deal of time has passed since then.”

“Do you think some might be sleeping, like you were?”

He sent her a teasing glance. “Why are you asking, نگهبان? Hoping to replace me already?” She rolled her eyes at him even as they put the room back together. “No, I see. You hope to kick another sleeping dragon in the head. Like a sport, yes? A thrilling game for نگهبان.”

“I didn’t _kick_ you,” she argued, but the corners of her mouth tugged up all the same. Vahid gripped the massive stone coffin and effortlessly dragged it back into place. Naomi crouched to add runes to the bottom of it, designed to anchor the heavy object in place. She added her own key to it, so that not even a magic user could open the passage without Naomi there.

“Very impressive,” Vahid said thoughtfully. He watched over her shoulder as she worked, curious. “Your understanding of these runes is the most thorough I have ever seen.”

“I’ve had a lot of time to learn,” she responded distractedly, brushing off the compliment. “And experiment.” She wouldn’t mention all the failures- locking herself out of a room for months until she worked out the right rune to fix it, accidentally blowing up more than one test run, hiding an object so well that even she couldn’t find it.

Her jewelry box was _still_ hidden in some unknown space in her house.

“And you have succeeded thanks to your own cleverness. This language has evolved a great deal since my people began using it.” He cocked his head at the string of runes as she activated them.

“There,” Naomi said, wiping her hands on her jeans. “The runes are linked to you. As long as you’re alive, no one can enter without you present. Or me, I guess.” She frowned. “I can change that.”

“Leave it,” Vahid said smoothly. She turned to him, brows raised in surprise. “Better that another knows of it,” he continued quickly. “I trust you to ensure the safety of my lair, should I be incapacitated.”

“I don’t know,” she said doubtfully.

“Many Guardians performed this task for my kind. I apologize if I have made you uncomfortable- I am unfamiliar with today’s standard for relations between dragons and Sentinels.”

“You and me both.” Naomi shrugged, deciding to let it go. For now. “Alright. I’ll leave it. But I can change it at any time- actually, no.” She crouched again and pointed at the final rune in the series. “See this one?” Vahid nodded. “If you ever want to revoke my access, add a line here to separate these two pieces. It’ll keep your access but mine will be removed.”

“This is unnecessary,” Vahid told her. She scowled at him until he sighed and dutifully added, “Though I appreciate your honesty in this matter and will remember what you have shown me.”

“Better.” She rolled the kinks out of her neck and reached for her bag in the corner of the room. “We should get going. My friend lives in Iran, we have a long way to travel.”

Vahid wrinkled his nose. “More planes?”

Naomi grimaced. “No. I thought maybe you’d like to fly us.” God knew he’d complained about it at length, the lack of space to shift and release some of that tension under his skin.

Vahid straightened in excitement, a ripple of scales shimmering underneath his skin. “Don’t make it weird,” she said severely. “We’re just flying through Iran, and then it’s back to human transportation for us both.”

“You say that now,” Vahid told her, confident. “But you have not flown with me yet.” He strode enthusiastically towards the exit. Naomi sighed to herself and followed the dragon back into the desert sun.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am very excited about Naomi's storyline in this!


	3. Darcy

**Darcy**

“What’s going on over there?” Darcy glanced over at Stiles’s question as they walked through the Stark Tower lobby, juggling a tray of coffee. She took in the group of men and women, all with stoic expressions and attentive eyes.

“Maria’s hiring for the SI Security team,” Natasha said from behind them. They both flinched in surprise at her unnoticed approach. “Since she’s pulled more of her own people for the SI.SD.” 

“So she’s holding interviews?” Stiles asked, an interested gleam in his eye. 

Natasha shrugged. “All morning.” She smiled blandly at Darcy. “I recommended you assist with the physical tests this afternoon. They’re all former agents and/or military.” 

Darcy smiled, slow and dangerous. “You’re a good friend, Nat.” She dreaded the morning debrief- always horribly boring- a little less now, with the opportunity to kick around some insufferable agent types later on. 

She pressed the button for the elevator on the far right side- permitted only for SI Supernatural Division and Avengers, other than the few scientists scattered across the top floors. The biometric pad hummed as it scanned her handprint, a ploy for those unaware of Jarvis’s existence. Biometrics were beatable, Tony had explained smugly. Jarvis was not. 

“Morning, J,” Darcy said when the elevator doors closed. 

“Good morning, Miss Lewis.” She sighed, wishing the AI would cooperate and stop calling her by her last name. “Mr. Stilinski, Agent Romanov.” 

“Is Malik still in his lab?” Darcy lifted the tray of coffee up. “I brought him sustenance.” 

“Mr. Wells did not leave his lab yesterday evening,” Jarvis reported. “Miss Wells gave up shortly after 2 AM and went home.” 

“Oh, boy. Imani’s going to be pissed this morning, then,” Stiles sighed. He lifted a cup from the tray. “I’ll take this to her first. Maybe the caffeine will make her less angry.” 

“I’ll get Malik, then.” She glanced hopefully at Natasha. “Tell Maria I’ll be a couple minutes late for the debrief?” Natasha raised a brow and sauntered out of the elevator. 

“She’s gonna tattle,” Stiles snickered. “Better hurry, Darce.” 

“Ugh.” Darcy turned left, towards the SI.SD labs. She stopped at the sliding glass doors, glancing warily at the light above them. Green, meaning she was clear to enter. Cautiously, Darcy stepped into the lab, not wanting to risk a repeat of the last time she’d accidentally gotten a face full of Malik’s truth serum plant. 

Malik, despite his young age, was the division’s sole organic chemist. His earth magic and combined expertise in organic compounds allowed the druid to grow specialized, individually designed plant species. Darcy inched around one of those special plants now, careful to avoid any contact. No one ever knew what Malik grew in here, and occasionally his projects got out of control. 

“Hey, Malik?” Darcy called, feeling as if she’d just entered a small forest within the tower as she wound through the lab. She looked around in confusion and loosed a resigned sigh. “I’m lost again.” 

Moments later, a dark head peered around a gangly palm tree with colorful spikes shooting out of the trunk. Brown eyes blinked at her through the fronds. “Darcy. Hi.” 

Darcy smiled at the tower’s newest genius. “I brought coffee. It’s decaf, though. I heard you were here all night.” 

Malik brightened. “I made a lot of progress! Come look, it’s right over- oh, no, don’t let that touch you. That either!” Darcy tucked her arms into her body and squirmed cautiously through the mass of plants to follow the young druid. “I’ve almost finished the lavender-based lotion.” 

“The one that cures the mother of all headaches?” Darcy asked, peering curiously at his desk. 

Malik paused for a moment to parse out the meaning of the question. “Yes, it’s very effective. I asked Director Hill to try it last night.” 

Darcy raised her brows in surprise. “Maria let you experiment on her? Willingly?” 

“She rubs her temples all the time,” Malik said. “Imani said it’s because the director gets migraines.” Darcy supposed that  _ technically  _ that was true, though Maria’s headaches were often born of frustration with her motley crew of agents and the disasters they managed to get tangled up in. 

“And she tried it?” 

“She made me explain it four times, all the way through, before she put it on.” He frowned. “Even though I don’t make mistakes, not when it comes to my plants.” 

“I am well aware,” Darcy agreed. Every one of his compounds worked exactly as described,  _ always. _

“But it worked! Her lines went away after six minutes and thirty eight seconds,” Malik reported. 

Darcy blinked at him. “Her lines?” 

Malik pointed to his own forehead. “She gets wrinkles when her head hurts. I told her that.” He twisted his hands together. “She didn’t seem to be very happy when I said so.” 

Darcy was aware of Malik’s social anxiety, as well as the now-familiar sound of him clicking his tongue against his teeth. It was called stimming, Imani had explained when the druid twins first arrived. A conditioned response to help calm Malik when he became overwhelmed or anxious. Darcy made a point to pay attention for those signs.

“It’s okay,” she said calmly. “Maria wasn’t mad at you. It’s probably some weird agent thing about having a tell.” Darcy knew this to be very true- the Amazon didn’t like to have noticeable tells, even when it came to very human responses to pain. 

“Oh.” The tension dropped from Malik’s lanky frame. “That makes sense.” 

“I came by to give you decaf coffee and tell you to get some rest,” Darcy said. “But also to let you know that your compound from last night worked perfectly.” Clint had ensured the SI lab ran diagnostics on the Hydra agent and Garrett; their blood test revealed no trace of anything out of the ordinary. 

Malik’s eyes lit up. “You have to tell me everything. How long did it keep them under, what’s the approximate dose applied to each human- they were human, right? I tried to account for potential supernaturals, but it’s just the test run, I wonder if-” 

“I’ll give you a copy of the report later,” Darcy promised, hoping to halt the train of enthusiasm before he decided against sleeping at any point this week. Again. “But also to let you know that your sister will be very unhappy if she finds out you haven’t slept in over 48 hours.” 

Malik’s mouth twisted unhappily. “I just get caught up in it all.” 

“I get it,” Darcy said on a sigh. “You know I worked for Jane Foster for years, right?” Malik nodded. “Trust me, she’s way worse when she’s on a roll. It takes a spark _and_ a God of Thunder to get her out of the lab.” 

Malik laughed quietly. “Okay, I’ll go. Tell Imani I’m sleeping here, though.” He jutted out his chin as if expecting his twin to burst into the lab and drag him back home. 

“That’s why we gave you a bed in the back,” Darcy said with a grin. “You geniuses are all the same.” Malik flashed her a smile and stepped confidently through the veritable jungle of plants. Darcy watched him go with a fond expression, recalling the first time she’d met the druid twins. 

**_~*~ SIX MONTHS AGO ~*~_ **

Darcy raced through the alley, sprinting for all she was worth after the slender figure ahead of her. She double checked her surroundings, made sure no one was watching them run through the abandoned apartment complexes. 

No one. 

She raised her hand and watched with satisfaction as a a golden wall exploded into sight. The man skidded to a halt, looking around desperately for an escape route. Darcy let the shield bleed forward, trapping him between three walls and herself. 

“So. That was fun,” she said. “I always enjoy a good chase.” 

“Wh-what do you want?” He backed away and then winced when he bumped into the wall of magic. It crackled dangerously in response. 

“We want to know where you got the drugs,” Darcy said calmly. 

The man looked around, wide-eyed. “We?” 

Bucky dropped silently from the fire escape above. Liam, a Fae highly competent in glamor, wandered into the alley behind Darcy, frowning in concentration. “Yeah. We.” Darcy crossed her arms and tilted her head, waiting. 

“I don’t know her name, okay?” The man said nervously. He looked between Darcy and Bucky, as if unsure of who was the greater threat. “It’s a special drug, for ‘wolves.” 

“I know it is,” Darcy said slowly. “Because werewolf metabolism burns human drugs out too fast to be effective. So whatever it is that you and your dumbass pack took that turned you all into a bunch of rabid psychopaths, I need to know about it.” 

The man fidgeted anxiously. Sweat dripped down his face. “Well, we uh… We meet the girl once a week for supplies. But we…” 

“But you what?” Darcy asked, trying not to sound as impatient as she felt. The SI Supernatural Division had been working late nights for an entire month, trying to track down the source of a new drug being passed between packs. 

In small doses, it was mostly just an effective acid trip for werewolf metabolism. In high doses, though, the ‘wolves shifted and ran around howling at the moon and flashing their fangs and claws at humans on the street. 

Needless to say, she was annoyed. 

“We were maybe taking too much of it.” He chuckled nervously. “More than she told us to. Just a misunderstanding, see?” Liam snorted a laugh behind her. 

“No, I do not see,” Darcy said flatly. “Tell me who your supplier is, and maybe I won’t get Laura Hale involved.” A visceral reaction of fear. “Yeah, thought so. Your pack is risking the statute of secrecy. You know the penalty for that offense. But if you tell me who gave you the drugs and I’ll let you off with a warning this time.” 

“I have an address,” he blurted. “We’re supposed to meet again tonight!” 

Darcy smiled, friendly. “Perfect.” 

Thirty minutes later, her small team crouched in a dark alley in a notably poor neighborhood. Waiting for the young woman who stepped into the abandoned shop across the street with a cautious glance over her shoulder. 

“I’m going,” Darcy murmured. She detached herself from the shadows, aware of Bucky’s fingers sliding down her arm as she did so. She slipped across the street and into the store after a quick sweep with her magic. 

Darcy let the door slam behind her. The young woman at the back watched her with her chin raised, unafraid of the spark trailing a finger along the dusty countertop. 

“You aren’t my usual type,” she said casually. “But I could make an exception.” 

Darcy had to bite back a smile. “Same goes.” She eyed the other woman’s figure, her warm brown skin and tight curls styled into an afro. “But that’s not why I’m here, of course.” 

“Of course,” she said smoothly. “You’re here about the deal.” Darcy said nothing, leaning on her lessons with Natasha. Her silence prompted further answers. “I already have a deal with your rival pack. I’m sorry, but I can’t take the risk that they’d find out.” 

Darcy raised a brow. The woman shrugged. “It’s just not worth it, not for what our price is.” Darcy couldn’t hold back her smile, this time. The woman had nerves of steel. “Unless you pay double. Call it a hazard bonus.” 

“I’m not a werewolf,” Darcy finally informed her. 

“I- what?” The young woman blinked at her. “Then what the fuck are you here for?” 

_ “I’m _ here to figure out who’s been selling the werewolf version of LSD to a pack of imbeciles.” 

She sighed loudly in response. “They took too much, didn’t they?” Darcy nodded. 

Both women jerked around to face the door when it burst open. A lanky African American man, in his early twenties by Darcy’s estimate, stood in the doorway. 

“I told them the right dose!” He said indignantly. “Imani, tell her that I told them the right dose!” 

“Malik!” The woman- Imani- snapped. “I told you to stay away from here.” 

Malik frowned at her. “But mom said we aren’t supposed to go anywhere alone at night.” Imani groaned in exasperation. 

Darcy eyed Malik. “So where’d you get the drug from?” 

“I grew it,” he said. 

“You  _ grew _ it?” Darcy asked in disbelief. 

“It wasn’t hard. I just tweaked a few things, combined a few specialized species, and made a compound that would survive werewolf metabolism.” Darcy found herself speechless. 

Imani sighed again. “Druids,” she said, pointing between her and her brother. 

“Spark,” Darcy said, pointing at herself. 

“Human,” Bucky said from the shadows. Imani squealed in surprise and jerked away from the back door. 

Liam leaned in the open door and waved. “Fae!” 

“You personally grew and created the components for a specialized supernatural drug?” Darcy said, just to confirm. Malik nodded. “Right. So.” She looked between Malik and Imani. “How would you guys like a job at Stark Industries?” 

**_~NOW~_ **

Darcy made sure Malik actually made it to the queen-sized bed in the back of the lab before reluctantly joining the debrief, carefully avoiding Maria’s angry glare at her tardiness. 

~*~ 

“Group One, into the ring,” Maria ordered. "We're going to see how you four do against an armed opponent." 

Darcy swung her staff in a series of figure eights, body loose and relaxed. She caught the dubious looks from the first group, most of their gazes lingering on her chest. She made careful note of their faces- she would make sure they hit the mat first. 

“Lewis, go easy on ‘em, will you?” Maria asked, one corner of her mouth curling up. “These  _ are _ just the trail runs, you know.” The raised eyebrow said ‘don’t break them, but definitely kick them around a little.’ 

“No promises,” Darcy said with a grin, though she  _ did _ dial it back a bit. These humans didn’t need to know just how fast she was after training with supernaturals and assassins for years. 

“Group One, your objective is simple,” Maria called out striding along the edge of the mat. The group of four looked warily between Maria and Darcy. “Land a hit on Lewis.” 

Darcy watched the wave of surprise go through the gathered applicants in the room, especially those on the mat with her. More gazes dropped from her mouth to her breasts to the curve of her hips with a truly insulting amount of skepticism. 

Her eyes drifted to the side, where Bucky watched from the shadows with his arms crossed and expression hidden. Natasha lurked in the upper level viewing gallery, a dark smile on her usually neutral face. 

“Begin.” Maria settled in to watch the proceedings with no little satisfaction. 

Darcy would give them credit- the first group was quick. Still, she sidestepped the first two strikes with ease, flowing gracefully into a rapid spin. Her weighted staff dropped to the ground like an extension of her arm, swiping the legs of two out from under them. 

They hit the mat hard, but not before she’d turned again, body extended into a high kick. Her foot slammed into the jaw of the third man, a hard-edged former Marine. He dropped like a stone.

Darcy didn’t let the smile appear on her face when the room abruptly went silent three seconds into the fight, the applicants now watching with wide eyes and bated breath. 

The fourth member came in high. Darcy caught the strike on her staff and ducked down, around, and up again. Two swift hits from behind and the man was down, struggling to breathe on the mat. 

The other two were up and came warily now. They inched forward, hands raised defensively, prepared to strike. Darcy let them spread out, try to catch her from two sides. 

She waited, felt the air grow tight. The room held its breath. A flash of white teeth from Bucky’s corner of the room.

Darcy struck, fast as lightning. 

She dropped into a crouch, left hand planted firmly to the mat. Darcy twisted around with her right leg extended and the staff with it to take the first man’s legs out again. He didn’t react fast enough, couldn’t dodge. 

She was up in a heartbeat. Her staff snapped out, catching the other approaching man in the jaw. He crumpled. 

The first man tried to rise, only to catch her staff to the ribs, then the throat. 

A pause, and then- “Time,” Maria called, unimpressed. “Subpar, at best.” Darcy backed casually away, wrists looped over the staff resting across her shoulders. She hadn’t even broken a sweat. 

The group straggled out of the ring. “Group Two, you’re up.” Maria noticed their slight hesitation and rolled her eyes. “Alright, fine. Grab a weapon first.” She shook her head slightly, fully aware of the extent of Darcy’s training. And she was right- weapons wouldn’t help them, not at all.

Darcy tilted her head to the side, eyes angled towards Natasha on the upper level. Natasha raised her chin an inch- high praise from the world’s deadliest assassin. She refocused on the new group, all carrying an array of weapons. 

Darcy smiled dangerously at them. 

“Begin!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case context clues weren't enough, Malik is autistic. 
> 
> Next update: Naomi's chapter on Thursday- maybe sooner if I get enough written tomorrow and Tuesday!


	4. Naomi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sentinel: نگهبان  
> Spark: جرقه

**Naomi**

The desert nights grew cold enough that Vahid had to light them a fire.

Naomi groaned quietly and stretched, working the stiffness out of her legs. As it turned out, clamping her knees tightly against a dragon’s shoulders for hours on end was really not great for the body. She worked her thumbs aggressively into the muscle of her thigh, hissing when it cramped painfully.

Vahid shifted back, satisfied almost to the point of smug. “I do love the desert,” he said with an admiring look at the empty expanse around them. “All of this open air, the warmth of the sun, the shifting sands at our feet.”

“The storms pummeling you relentlessly with a thousand pounds of sand,” Naomi intoned. “The lack of fresh water, the never ending sun.”

“You love the desert too,” Vahid said archly. “You cannot lie to me, I see the truth written all over your face.”

Naomi tipped her head in concession, a small smile playing at her lips. “I do,” she admitted on a sigh. She leaned back, let her elbows prop her up. “It’s wild and beautiful and the one thing humans can’t overtake. Besides the ocean, that is.”

“The desert answers to no one,” Vahid murmured in agreement. “Not even a dragon.” He folded gracefully into a seated position a few feet away, close to the flame. Naomi watched with interest as he let his hand drift slowly through it, passing through without harm.

“So you’re fireproof in either form?” She asked, fishing around in her bag for an apple and an energy bar. They’d stopped at a small town when the sun was at its highest to rest and eat. Vahid had flown them high enough that anyone looking up would assume he was a bird. Naomi kept a solid shield between her and the sun, not wanting to die of exposure at a few hundred feet above the ground.

“Yes. Fire does not damage this form. Something to do with dragon magic.” He stared into the fire. “I used to have a bed surrounded by a wall of flame. The warmth was intoxicating.”

“In your lair?” Naomi asked, thinking back to the room. She hadn’t seen such a space in the lair, not with all of his hoard scattered around.

Vahid shot her an amused glance. “No. I had another space, back when Persia thrived.”

“Were you a ruler? A king?”

A short laugh. “No. No, that would never have been permitted.” His eyes grew distant. “The kings and royal families liked to surround themselves with powerful beings, though. A show of force. How else would they conquer so much land so quickly?”

She watched him lean closer to the fire, as if he suddenly needed the extra warmth. “You were a prisoner.”

Vahid shrugged. “More or less. They provided everything a dragon could ever desire, but the safety of my loved ones depended on my cooperation.”

“I’m sorry, Vahid.”

“It was a short lived empire,” he said dismissively. “Only 200 years or so.”

“That’s two lifetimes for a non-immortal,” she pointed out. “What about your family? Were they dragons, too?”

“They were,” he said softly. “I was their only hatchling. Dragons cannot reproduce easily,” he explained. “But during my adolescence I discovered the human world and left them. I was fascinated with humans, utterly enchanted. I was naive.”

“Humans tend to take advantage,” Naomi said sympathetically. “But that’s not your fault.” She hesitated then, uncertain. Vahid noticed, lifting his eyes from the blaze to stare at her expectantly. “Feel free to tell me to fuck off if you don’t want to answer this.” He made an amused noise and waved her on. “The person in the tomb... Were they human?”

Vahid looked down at his hands. “Yes.”

Naomi sat up, tucking her legs underneath her. She trailed a finger through the sand and didn’t press him. No matter how curious she was about the tomb’s inhabitant, she wouldn’t ask him to delve into painful memories if he wasn’t willing.

Instead she turned her attention to the surrounding desert, the star-filled sky and the lovely expanse of earth. She double checked her wards, ensuring the pair of them remained hidden from potential travelers and poisonous nightlife alike.

“Their name was Roshan,” Vahid said after a long silence. Naomi looked up, startled. He kept his eyes on the fire as he spoke. She felt a little hypnotized by the reflection of the dancing flame in his silver eyes. “Roshan was a member of the royal family, the youngest child of the first Persian king, Cyrus the Great. I fell in love with them in a matter of hours.”

“The king leveraged his own child against you?” She was torn between horror and outrage.

“Roshan was expendable, in his eyes. The king had four other daughters, you see, and two sons. So Roshan’s purpose was to be married off, to solidify an alliance somewhere.” Vahid’s mouth twisted. “Instead, King Cyrus discovered my affections for Roshan and held them hostage unless I assisted him with his plans of expansion.”

“Did he...” Naomi trailed off, biting her lip at the expression on Vahid’s face.

“I did everything he asked for years, even when I would rather have taken Roshan and flown far away.”

“Why didn’t you?”

A small smile crossed his face. “Roshan valued honor and duty above all else. They were the voice of the people, you see. The city loved them dearly, because Roshan spent hours and hours walking through the streets, visiting the subjects and playing with the children. Roshan would not leave their people behind.”

Vahid noticed her thoughtful expression and explained, “Roshan did not conform to either assigned human gender. I believe you have a word for it?”

“Nonbinary,” Naomi said. “Or gender fluid, or gender neutral. Depends on the person’s preference, sometimes.”

“Neutral,” Vahid murmured. “Roshan was never neutral. Roshan was as vibrant as this fire, always burning and dancing and living.” He closed his eyes. Naomi related to the depth of that grief, was familiar with the way it hollowed you out.

“You stayed with them,” she said softly. “Brought them to the safety of your own lair.”

He nodded. “The king became violent when his power began to fade. He died in battle against the Massagetae- I escaped with Roshan when Cyrus’s eldest son succeeded the throne. Cambyses was a monster of his father’s making. Even Roshan knew better than to try and reason with him.”

“But you escaped,” Naomi prompted. “Both of you, you said.”

“We did. Roshan and I had a few years of freedom before they grew ill. Humans are so very fragile.” Vahid let the flame pass over his hand again. “We had nearly twenty years together, in total. And then Roshan passed on to the afterlife.”

“You built the tomb in your lair for them.”

“I could not bear to leave Roshan behind. The humans were not as respectful of their dead in those days. Roshan was royalty- they deserved better than a shallow grave in a foreign land.”

Naomi thought of Alec, then, of how he’d loved the sea above all else. The ocean was home for him, though he’d left it behind for her whenever possible. The naiads had taken him to its depths when he died, ensuring that his soul would be ensnared by the ocean currents and set free.

She and Vahid had both buried their loved ones. It was a mutual understanding and respect that she appreciated. Naomi rubbed absently at the tattoo over her heart, a replica of the fire in front of her.

“Do your hatchlings call you?” Vahid asked curiously.

Naomi dropped her apple core in the sand. “My _what?”_

“Your young pupils. Darcy and Stiles.”

“Jesus.” Naomi scrubbed a hand over her face.

Vahid frowned. “I am unfamiliar with Jesus. Are they also نگهبان?”

Naomi laughed, a little helplessly. “No. No, we can get into human religion later, okay? Darcy and Stiles are not my _hatchlings,_ what the fuck, they’re just... They’re نگهبان too, fully-fledged نگهبان.”

“My apologies,” Vahid said solemnly, but she caught the laughter in his eyes before he could duck his head.

“Stupid lizard,” she muttered, tugging her bag closer to rest her head on it. _“Hatchlings._ Who even are you?” Vahid chuckled quietly and stood. “What are you doing?” She squinted up at his silhouette across the fire.

“I prefer to sleep shifted in the open like this.” He gestured at the shadows stretching towards them from the dark. “For a number of reasons.”

“Okay,” she said uncertainly. “Whatever makes you happy.”

Vahid smiled over at her and then shifted, letting the darkness pull at his shadow until a dragon stood in his place. Naomi sat up, a little afraid of one of those giant feet crushing her on accident. She made an involuntary sound of surprise when Vahid rumbled low in his throat and curled completely around their little camp.

Naomi looked around at the wall of shimmering black scales, quietly admiring the red undertone that only hinted at the raging fire within. His tail wrapped around the opposite side of the fire and around further still, until the barbed tip rested along his hind leg.

A wing rose high above, blocking out the night sky and covering her entirely within a dragon-made cocoon. Naomi cautiously leaned against his shoulder and peered up at the wing. It was oddly similar to a bat wing- the same type of membrane, only thicker and shot through with red veins.

Naomi shook her head at the absurdity of the situation and closed her eyes.

~*~

_Heart racing, breath coming in desperate pants, sweat sliding down her face and neck._

_Scrambling for safety in a quiet house, the night air unnaturally still as she ran. She moved quickly through the familiar-but-not house, away from the tall figure at her back. They approached steadily, unconcerned with the crackle of magic in the air. Unbothered by the spark lighting up the dark room with each frantic blast of power._

_Urgency, terror, pushing her further and further until she hit a wall. But no- it wasn’t a wall. She was standing, falling, crawling in the middle of the room. Naomi looked down, saw white, male hands splayed across a thick circle of runes bleeding an inky black across the carpet._

_She looked up, trapped, and saw only a flash of white teeth before the pain searing through her mind made her heart stop and body seize violently. Everything but the pain fell away from her awareness, climbing higher and higher until her vision finally blurred into nothingness._

Naomi jerked upright, heaving for air. She was distantly aware of Vahid crouched beside her, concern etched across his handsome face. His hands hovered above her skin, not quite touching but almost, like he wasn’t sure it was allowed.

Her head still hurt. Shooting pains through her skull that only added to her panic when she couldn’t manage to take a breath.

“Naomi,” Vahid said tightly. “What is wrong?” There was a pulse of magic, something dark and furious when she couldn’t choke out a response. “Why aren’t you _breathing?”_ She tapped at her throat in answer, trying to get her heart rate under control. Black spots danced in her vision, threatening to send her back to unconsciousness.

Vahid knelt close enough that she could feel the unnatural heat emanating off of him. She reached blindly out to grasp his wrist, using it as a focus to slow the panic attack. Vahid glanced down at her white-knuckled grip on his arm and gingerly lifted his other hand to settle firmly between her shoulder blades.

Naomi curled her knees up to her chest and dropped her head between them. She wound her free arm around her legs and closed her eyes, counting her breaths the way she’d been taught as a child, when the panic attacks sent her rapidly spiraling into unconsciousness.

It felt like hours later that she finally collected herself. Vahid had remained motionless, providing steady support until she could put herself back together.

“We have to go,” Naomi rasped. She kept her forehead pressed to her knees to hide the way she had to blink back tears.

Vahid heard it in her voice, though, and gently twisted his arm around until he could slide his hand into hers. “Please explain to me what just happened.”

“I… I don’t know how to explain.” She couldn’t think straight right now, too caught up in the vision and its implications.

“You stopped breathing during the- the episode. I could not ascertain why.” Something that upset him a great deal, based off of the tension in his voice and the stiff set to his shoulders.

“I’m sorry,” she said tiredly. “I thought-” She thought that, with the Unseelie Fae dealt with and the Hellmouth closed, she would be free of horrific visions for at least a year or two. Naomi took a deep breath and lifted her head. “I have… dreams, sometimes. Dreams that show me future events or warnings.”

Vahid’s eyes seemed to glow brighter. “You are a Seer?”

“No. Maybe? I don’t know,” she said miserably. It was the one thing she had never told another soul. Self-preservation, maybe, or just a lingering fear that no one would believe her. That they’d assume she was crazy and laugh in her face.

It didn’t matter. She could use what the visions showed her to stay alive, to stay one step ahead. It was her burden to bear.

“Okay. That is not important right now,” Vahid conceded, studying her face closely. He slid his hand across her back, soothing and reassuring. “Can you tell me what you saw?” She had to close her eyes again. “ نگهبان? Naomi?” Vahid prompted, worry in his tone.

Finally, Naomi spoke. “My friend, the one we’re going to find?” Vahid nodded. “I’m pretty sure something is going to try and kill him soon.”

“How soon?” He asked urgently.

“I don’t know. I never know a timeline.” She let her spark free to chase away the lingering pain and fear that sank all the way to her bones after the vision. The magic helped warm her, fought back the overwhelming dread enough so that she could focus again. “I just know that we have to hurry.”

Vahid stood, the giant cast of his shadow taking her breath away for a moment. Silver eyes flickered down at her as he extended his hand. Naomi took his hand and let him pull her to her feet. “Then we will leave at once.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This pair's plot will really start to pick up after this! 
> 
> Next update: Darcy's chapter, probably on Monday


	5. Darcy

**Darcy**

Darcy leaned against the back wall of the regular SI employee elevator, on her way to see Jane before her next mission briefing. She wiggled closer into the corner when a crowd of people piled on. A few faces were vaguely familiar, all SI security agents for the tower.

She ducked her head, hoping they wouldn’t recognize her. It must have worked, because not three seconds after the doors closed she heard one of the men say, “Heard you might get called up to the SI Special Division, Zhang.”

Suyin Zhang, a human at the top of the list of active security agents that Maria actually had hope for, shrugged. “Hill hasn’t said anything.”

“Do we know what that division actually _does?”_ Another agent asked.

“Something insane, for sure,” a third voice chimed in. “Have you _seen_ them train?”

Suyin snorted. “I don’t think I’ll ever forget the sight of that tiny bombshell dropping you on your ass.”

“Hey, you never had to fight her! She was fast as fuck, okay?”

“I heard she trains with Hawkeye _and_ the Black Widow.”

“Aw, fuck, no wonder she beat you into the ground.” A round of chuckles. “You didn’t stand a chance.”

“I’m okay with it.” The man shrugged. “Getting kicked around by a gorgeous woman wasn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”

The agent beside him rolled his eyes, long-suffering. “He’s been waxing poetic about the fight for days.”

“Better not let anyone hear,” someone warned. “Isn’t she also dating the Winter Soldier?”

A slight hush fell over the group. Darcy felt a smile playing at her lips as the elevator crept up and up. She could have sworn it was going slower than usual. Darcy flicked a glance at the invisible camera in the corner, knowing Jarvis was a troll at heart.

“Either him or one of the other agents. I swear they’re all fucking each other.”

“Why? Because they don’t say ‘no homo’ after making eye contact?” Suyin drawled. A couple of the agents snickered when the others looked affronted.

“They’re all over each other!” He protested. “We’ve all seen it, right?” Suyin just rolled her eyes.

The oldest agent of the crowd, a former Ranger, shook his head. “That group has seen some shit,” he said. “You can see it in their eyes, in the way they carry themselves.”

“I heard there was something huge that went down in Idaho,” someone added. “Big enough for the Special Division _and_ the Avengers to get called in.”

“Called in by who? SHIELD?”

“SHIELD’s gone, dumbass. Don’t you remember when Cap lit DC on fire?”

“You really think the super secret spy agency just faded away, huh?”

Darcy noticed that Suyin remained quiet, not adding to the conjecture. She liked the woman even more for it.

“SD doesn’t work for SHIELD, though. They’re Stark’s, through and through.”

The elevator stopped on her floor. Darcy took the opportunity Jarvis gave her and straightened. The agents seemed to suddenly realize she was there, freezing in place at the sight of her. “Now that,” she told them, “is absolutely the truth.” She stepped out of the elevator with a wink back at the mortified group.

Darcy laughed to herself all the way to Jane’s lab. “How goes the space exploration, Your Majesty?”

“Fuck off, Darcy,” Jane grumbled from underneath her quantum spectrometer. “Actually, no, I need you to come fix this.” Darcy sighed but obeyed, crawling underneath it to join her friend.

“What the hell did you do to it?” She asked, squinting at the tangle of wires.

“Not me,” Jane said darkly. “Tony showed up last night and tried to ‘give it a boost.’” Darcy valiantly restrained her laugh and started undoing all of Tony’s work.

“Why did you _let_ him? Jesus, Jane.” Darcy asked in dismay. Hell, this would take forever to fix.

“Thor seduced me away from science,” Jane bemoaned.

Darcy shook her head at her friend with feigned disapproval. “For shame, Jane.”

“You and Stiles tried to close a Hellmouth even though you _knew_ it would kill you,” Jane pointed out. Darcy wondered when she’d let that go- although the Fae _had_ just found out a few weeks ago when Darcy confessed after a few too many drinks. “You don’t get to lecture me on bad decisions.” She was apparently still very mad.

“What?”

Darcy jerked upright at the sound of Bucky’s voice in the doorway. She smacked her head into the bottom of the machine and swore before crawling out from under it, clutching her bruised forehead.

He stared at her in disbelief. “What did she just say?”

Darcy’s heart sank at the expression on his face. “I…”

“So it’s true? You knew it was going to kill you? And you said nothing?” Bucky looked as angry as she’d ever seen him, betrayal written all over his face.

Jane looked between them with wide eyes. She glanced apologetically at Darcy, lip caught between her teeth.

“We… we suspected it might take more than just our magic,” Darcy said quietly. She looked up at him, hating the distance between them. “I didn’t know how to tell you. I’m sorry.”

“Sorry,” he repeated. “Do you have _any_ idea what I would-” he broke off, turning away. She saw the way his metal fist was clenched, the rough swipe of his flesh hand through his hair. Bucky’s breathing seemed stuttered, like the beginning of a panic attack.

Darcy stood, reaching for him. “Bucky?” He stepped back, out of reach. Darcy stopped, inexplicably hurt. Somehow, his anger was worse than Jane’s.

“I just- I just need a minute.” He loosed a breath and left the lab.

Jane wrapped a supportive arm around Darcy’s waist when she could only stare after him. “Shit, I’m sorry, Darce.”

“He’s really mad,” Darcy whispered. Her heart felt like it was beating too loudly, a war drum in her ears.

Jane dropped her head down on Darcy’s shoulder. “He’s just scared, Darce,” Jane told her. “I felt the same way when I found out.” And yeah, that was true. Jane had been furious at the admission. Darcy had managed to ride out the worst of the Fae’s anger while shit-faced drunk. It was thankfully tempered a bit in her memory.

“Just give him some time to process,” Jane advised. “Bucky almost lost the love of his life and just realized he had no clue how close it really was.”

“Yeah,” Darcy said numbly. They hadn’t fought for real, still gliding along in the sickeningly-in-love stage of the relationship. Other than heated arguments over who got the last piece of bacon or who’s turn it was to kick the pack out for some peace and quiet, but there had never been any legitimate anger.

She let Jane cuddle her for a little longer and then headed upstairs for the briefing.

~*~

Darcy lay in the bed in her apartment, staring at the ceiling. She glanced over at the notably empty spot beside her and then turned back to the ceiling with a scowl. The alarm clock blinked steadily on, well past midnight.

She gave up on sleep, unable to bear the quiet any longer. Darcy tossed the covers aside and rolled out of bed. She yanked her tank top off and tossed it aside, her sleep shorts following seconds later.

Her heavy-duty sports bra went on first, followed by a tight black v-neck and stretchy, slate-grey jeans. Combat boots with special sheaths built within for her blades went on next. Darcy snatched up her jacket from where it had been tossed aside- by Bucky- onto the floor only yesterday. It fit snugly, just tight enough to fit her like a glove without interfering with her range of motion.

Knives in place, slender rowan wood batons strapped to her back, Darcy headed for the window. The earpiece on the counter caught her eye. She slowed for a heartbeat, considering, and then decided against it.

Darcy slipped the window open, warding the sound from the ‘wolves on her floor. She wasn’t in the mood for company tonight.

The drop would be daunting, except she’d done this countless times by now. She created a thick, wide shield a few feet down and dropped off the fire escape. Another shield further down, then another, and another, until she was standing in the silent side alley below.

Stiles was out, she knew, leading tonight’s Alpha Team with Derek on the other side of the city. Maria had simply said, “Barnes is off the roster today,” but Darcy’s heart had still dropped. It was serious, if he had stepped away from their regular patrols.

Of course, he’d probably expected her to go anyway, with any number of the SI division members. Instead, Darcy had informed Maria to remove her from the night’s roster as well and gone home.

Bucky never showed.

Darcy headed for the part of town notorious for supernatural unrest, some vicious, savage part of her aching for a fight. She made it only half a mile before Cora fell quietly into step with her.

Darcy bristled. “I’m not the best mood tonight, Cora.”

Cora only nodded, casual. “Seems to me that you’re looking for a fight.”

“And if I am?” Darcy challenged.

“Then we’ll find a fight,” Cora said with a shrug. “Maybe even two.”

Darcy had resist the urge to smile at that. “I don’t need a babysitter.”

“You don’t,” her sister agreed. “But you _are_ looking for trouble. And I’m not letting you do that alone.” She bumped her elbow into Darcy’s. “Alpha’s orders.”

“Since when do _you_ listen to what Laura tells you to do?” Darcy grumbled.

“Not often,” Cora admitted. “But when it comes to keeping you safe? Always.” Some of Darcy’s anger- a shield against the hurt- faded. “Also, Lo says we have two hours before she joins us.”

They paused at the mouth of an alley before Darcy could respond, both of them hearing the sound of a rowdy group of men. There was a defiant shout, female based off the tone.

Cora slid seamlessly into position at Darcy’s back as they stalked down the alley. The outer ring of men noticed them first, staring with eager, lust-filled eyes at their new victims. The girl used the distraction to escape, running for the other end of the alley to safety when Cora jerked her chin in a wordless command.

The men turned on Darcy and Cora, unconcerned until the spark palmed two of her knives. Now they showed hesitation, but not fear. Not yet, anyway.

Darcy grinned in anticipation and moved in.

~*~

She operated on autopilot the next day, feeling like a zombie thanks to the single hour of sleep she’d managed. Laura had joined them around two thirty in the morning, brimming with the need to punch someone. (Her words.)

Darcy hadn’t returned to the apartment until well after five. She’d been too pissed about the omega werewolf that landed a hit on her- a series of deep scratches across her stomach that were only healed _after_ they’d bled all over her clothes- to focus much on the fact that Bucky still hadn’t returned.

Instead, she’d tossed her bloodied clothes onto the bathroom floor and showered the worst of it off. Her bed had looked horribly lonely, so she’d dragged a pillow and blanket to the couch instead. She didn’t want to sleep in the cold bed alone, not without him there.

And then Darcy had spent the next three hours tossing and turning, plagued by nightmares of the Hellmouth. Of her pack lying dead or worse, dragged into hell. They all bore scars from the battle, a constant reminder of the Hellhound’s lethal bite, of the monsters she’d asked her family to face.

As a result, she spent the morning beating the shit out of a punching bag in the training room. Everyone wisely gave her a wide berth. Natasha drifted by at one point to wordlessly correct her stance and then left her to it.

Darcy spent an obscenely long time in the locker room shower, just standing under the spray. She didn’t move until her fingers were wrinkled and her hair so plastered against her head she might never shake it free.

Maria watched her as Darcy stalked into the briefing room but said nothing. Darcy settled into a chair near the back, arms crossed across her chest. Stiles and Derek arrived a moment later, bracketing her on either side without a word. She felt some of the tightness fade from her body at their comforting presence.

To her surprise, Tony stuck his head in the door seconds before Maria began the briefing. “Director Hill,” he said, formal enough that Maria got that squinty-eyed suspicious look on her face that she reserved solely for Tony Stark-related shenanigans. “Can I borrow Lewis?”

Maria eyed him dangerously for a moment before nodding in acceptance. Tony waggled his eyebrows at Darcy until she finally cracked a smile and joined him in the hallway.

“So,” he said, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking back and forth on his heels. “Think you can take the day off from wrangling supernatural creatures?”

Darcy shrugged. “Probably. Why?”

“I’m going to see Rhodey at the base.” Tony seemed oddly tentative. “If you wanted to come along.”

Darcy glanced back at the room- at the glaring absence of one blue-eyed super soldier. “Sure,” she said after a moment. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

“Great!” Tony said. He blinked awkwardly at her for a minute. “We’re taking the quinjet,” he announced. Darcy followed him down the hallway towards the elevator. Tony glanced at her. “Want to learn how to fly it?”

Darcy brightened a little. _“Do_ I.”

Tony laughed, a fond, quiet sound that warmed her. “Alright, kid. There’s only one rule.”

“Don’t crash it?” Darcy guessed.

“No, I pick the music.”

“Ugh, I’m not listening to your lame dad rock the whole way.” Darcy rolled her eyes.

Tony seemed to stutter a step before waving a hand dismissively at her. “It’s cute that you think you have a choice.”

“We’ll see about that,” Darcy muttered, but she followed him onto the jet.

Darcy exited the jet two hours later, victorious. Tony followed with a heavy sigh at her smug expression.

“I can’t believe you made me listen to two hours of pop,” he grumbled.

“Shut up, you were totally singing along.”

“That goes nowhere,” he said, pointing a finger at her in warning. Darcy just smiled sweetly at him.

Tony glanced over to where Rhodey stood patiently waiting on them to join him. “Rhodey, she’s a tyrant.”

“Good,” Rhodey said, pulling Darcy into a hug. “Someone’s gotta keep him in line.”

Darcy laughed at Tony’s offended expression. She was grateful for his attempts to lighten her mood, to take her mind off of the fight with Bucky. She had no doubt that Jarvis had reported the conversation back to him. As annoying as _that_ was, his obvious efforts to help her went a long way.

“There’s someone I want you to meet,” Rhodey told her. Tony cocked his head, obviously unaware of Rhodey’s mystery guest.

“Lieutenant Colonel.” Two passing soldiers snapped a neat salute at the sight of him. Rhodey nodded in acknowledgement and guided Darcy inside the base. Tony followed closely behind, eyeing the tech with consideration.

“Mr. Gonzalez.” A tall, broad shouldered man turned away from the window inside Rhodey’s office, hands clasped behind his back. His dark eyes fell to Darcy, and then widened imperceptibly.

Darcy smiled politely, busy sending her spark spinning across the carpet to brush against the stranger. She blinked in surprise at the first touch. He was a shifter, definitely, but not one she’d encountered before.

“Santiago Gonzalez, on loan from El Salvador for his expertise in interrogation. He’s here to teach a course for the base.” Rhodey watched Santiago’s face closely when he gestured to Darcy and said, “This is Darcy Lewis-Hale, a close friend of the Avengers.”

Santiago stiffened, just the slightest bit, at the sound of the Hale name. A small, private smile crossed Rhodey’s face for just a second, as if he’d just confirmed something.

Tony noticed. “Dammit, Rhodes,” he sighed.

“A pleasure to meet you, Miss Lewis,” Santiago said calmly, as if a very high-ranking officer of the United States Air Force hadn’t potentially just figured out their secret.

Darcy traded looks with Tony, who scowled at her for a moment before giving in at her stubborn frown. “Fine. C’mon, asshole. Apparently I have some things to explain.”

“You do,” Rhodey told him. He winked at Darcy on their way out the door. She watched them go, exasperated.

“He didn’t know anything for certain until now,” Santiago said, rubbing a hand over his face. “Wonderful.”

“It’s fine,” Darcy reassured him. “That was kind of a long time coming.” Tony had respected her insistence that no one else be informed- only _after_ he’d told Pepper everything, of course. It was killing him to keep it from his best friend. And apparently Rhodes was onto them the whole time, anyway.

She turned her attention back to the shifter. “So,” she said, friendly. “You’re a shifter?”

“I come from a family of jaguar shifters,” Santiago confirmed.

“Is that so?” Darcy hummed. She assessed the man’s quiet manner, his steady confidence- though the greatest assurance was Rhodey’s approval. “Tell me, Mr. Gonzalez, could I interest you in a short trip to New York?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next update will be either Friday or next Monday. I'm going to back off to 2 updates a week, maybe just one depending on how things go. My mental health has been a bitch and a half lately, but I'll try my best. 
> 
> That said, the plot will be picking up for both Darcy and Naomi after this, which I'm really excited about so hopefully I can get it written and edited within the planned timeframe. 
> 
> Thanks for all the love and support ❤️


	6. Naomi

**Naomi**

Vahid flew hard through the night without faltering, despite the hours of flight yesterday and their short period of rest. Naomi clutched the swell of the dragon’s shoulders tightly and prayed they would make it. She had to use her spark to combat the chill of the night, made worse by their high altitude. She now knew what the inside of a cloud felt like, and it was misery. 

This high up, though, she could see the rise and fall of the dunes below, an occasional small town, and finally the isolated house miles outside of another town. Matthew built it years ago, after losing his best friend and family to an Ak’ma. 

Vahid had barely even touched the ground when Naomi threw herself off of his back and sprinted for the small, dark house. The sun crept over the horizon, the early light of dawn reaching out over the empty sands. 

The air was deathly still. 

She took no notice of the warning signs, the red flags, as she skidded to a stop in front of the door. Vahid growled in frustration at being left behind and shifted back to join her as she hesitated just outside the house. She took no notice of him, either, too focused on the foreboding sight before her. 

A splintered lock, a door left ajar. Bloody handprints streaked along the barely visible wall through the crack, as though Matthew had steadied himself on the frame of the kitchen door as he tried to escape. Apprehension made her hesitate, stopped her hand from shoving the door wide open to reveal the death waiting for her inside. 

“I can go in alone,” Vahid said quietly. 

Somehow, that was all the motivation she needed. Naomi squared her shoulders and kicked the door open wide. She entered without flinching, without recoiling away from the stench of death and decay. Her spark lit the way for them. Naomi sent it soaring through the house, searching for signs of life. 

Nothing. Her heart ached.

They followed the handprints down the hall. Naomi took careful note of each familiar place, every corresponding mark she’d seen in the vision. She knew what happened, why the table was knocked over, why there was glass shattered on the floor. She could retrace Matthew’s last steps with ease, recalling the fear choking her- them- in the premonition.

But maybe, she thought as they crept down the hallway, it wasn’t a premonition at all.  Naomi halted at the opening to the living room, Vahid a warm reassurance at her shoulder. 

Her friend lay dead in the center of the room. A menacing darkness lurked in the corners of the room, a heaviness to the air that suddenly made breathing a chore, as if Death lingered and sought to steal from them, too. “He was gone before we took flight,” she said quietly. 

Fury surged at the sight of Matthew’s lifeless body, evidence of her failure. Naomi gripped the glass vase on a nearby shelf and threw it as hard as she could at the opposite wall. It shattered, the sound as loud as a gunshot in the stillness. Naomi turned sharply away from the body and slid a hand over her face. 

Her head bowed in defeat, shoulders hunched defensively against the sight of her friend lying still and empty nearby. She could smell the blood in the air, tasted something metallic at the back of her throat. Naomi wrapped an arm around her waist and tried to compose herself. 

“I do not recognize any of these symbols,” Vahid said softly. She glanced over, saw him crouched by the thick ring of unfamiliar runes circling the body. Naomi took a deep breath and joined him. 

“I don’t either,” she said, brow furrowed. The runes were like nothing she’d ever seen before, drawn in thick, bold lines. They had an inky stain to them, as if the dark magic of the sigils was seeping into the floor. “It’s like a completely different language.” 

“This is very dark magic.” Vahid stared distastefully at the runes. “It lingers still.” Naomi felt it, too. It hung like a sickness in the air, clinging to her skin. He frowned. “We should not idle for long.” 

She nodded. “I’m going to check something first.” Naomi stepped carefully down the hallway towards Matthew’s bedroom. He was the oldest spark she knew, nearing his late sixties. He collected information from all across the world, taught her to identify legitimate magical items, how to seek them out. 

She used those skills to search his house. Her eyes glowed vibrant gold as she scanned the house with sight and spark alike. She ducked through the low ceiling into his bedroom when her magic hitched over something within it. Naomi breathed in the familiar smell of his aftershave that lingered in the room, something comforting that always made her think of apple cider and cinnamon. 

The room was small and neat, organized carefully with bright colors and small knick-knacks Matthew had found all over the world. Some even with her, like the hawk glass figure that they’d come across in a market in South Africa years ago. She had its twin in her own room at home.

A small smile crossed her face at the sight. She traced her fingers gently over the tiny figurine resting on the windowsill, where he’d see it every day. Naomi clamped down on the surge of emotion and turned to assess the rest of the room. 

A blank piece of paper rested on the crooked, faded dresser. She frowned and approached it, letting her spark wash over the wrinkled paper. No response, but she’d never expect Matthew to let her off that easily. 

Naomi thought back to all of their lessons, the shared experiences and things he’d taught her. The long, winding ribbon of runes down her right thigh swirled on her skin as if they’d been caught in a storm. The runes resettled into an old, familiar pattern that she and Matthew devised shortly before the Ak’ma attacked his family. 

She used those runes as an anchor this time, letting her spark sweep across the page again. This time the page lifted slightly in response and then settled back down again with a few short words etched across it. 

**Naomi-**

**Hassan Ahadi – Yazd**

**₹**

“Do you know what it means?” Vahid asked from behind her. She startled a little, unaware of his approach. 

“Not really.” Naomi lifted the page. “Well, actually, I know that’s a sigil for caution.” She pointed to the small symbol at the bottom of the page. “Yazd is a city not too far from here. And the ‘Hassan Ahadi...’” She frowned. “A name, maybe?” 

“A clue to his murderer?” Vahid mused. “Or the name of?” 

“I’m not sure,” she murmured. “But it’s worth looking into.” Naomi paused suddenly and looked at the dragon patiently waiting for her decision. “I’m going to Yazd,” she decided. “But you... you know you don’t have to, right? I mean, one item from your hoard would pay your way for a decade in this century.” 

“If it is all the same to you,” Vahid said smoothly. “I will accompany you to Yazd. There is something out there that can kill an experienced spark without much difficulty. I would feel better if you were not alone.” Naomi nodded, trying to hide her relief. 

“Besides,” Vahid continued. “I find I quite enjoy your company.” 

She had no response for that, other than a muttered, “Oh, boy.” She carefully folded the paper and slid it into her pocket, brushing against Vahid on her way out the door. He made a noise low in his throat, a deep hum that Naomi felt in her bones. She’d never been so grateful for her dark skin that hid her blush. 

“Let’s go, lizard boy,” she said, deciding to ignore the odd tension between them. “We have work to do.” 

~*~ 

They spent an extra hour in the early morning light to bury Matthew deep in the sand. Vahid shifted and let a steady stream of fire crystallize the sand first, to give her friend a more respectable grave. 

Naomi thanked him wordlessly with a gentle hand on the dragon’s cheek and then used her magic to settle Matthew into the earth. The small hawk figure rested gently atop his chest. Sand washed over him with a gentle sweep of Vahid’s tail, followed by another stream of fire to solidify the spark’s grave. 

Vahid looked towards the house and paused. Naomi thought of the way the dark magic that killed Matthew still lingered, the way it had already crept into the foundations of the house like a poison. She clenched her fists and thought of that glass hawk for a long moment. Finally, she said, “Burn it.” 

The dragon swung his massive head around and set the house ablaze. 

It was still burning when Vahid took flight again, Naomi perched on his back with her bag slung over her shoulders. She looked down just once at the flame, shining like a beacon as the rays of sunlight finally exploded across the desert sands. 

Vahid circled his way into a slow descent just outside of Yazd. Naomi furrowed her brow in concentration to keep the bulk of the dragon hidden from curious eyes. Runes glowed as bright as the sun with the extent of the magic required for the complicated task. 

She slid off of him once he’d landed, careful to avoid the row of spikes down his spine. Vahid shifted back to stand beside her. Naomi eyed the dark circles under his eyes with concern. He’d flown them countless miles over the last week, but she had no idea what would be asking too much of a dragon. 

He caught her looking and tipped his mouth into a smile. “Do not worry, نگهبان,” he said with a sly wink. “I have  _ excellent  _ stamina.” 

“I’m sure you do,” Naomi said dryly. 

Yazd was a beautiful city. It was large and busy, the streets teeming with people despite the early hour. Vahid stopped to admire the Persian architecture and trace his fingers over the inscription at the entrance to the city: شهر بادگیرها. 

“The City of Windcatchers,” Vahid murmured. 

Naomi squinted at the wind towers high above, designed to create natural ventilation in the buildings. She pointed up at them. “It’s referring to their natural AC units,” she told him. 

Vahid’s silver eyes glinted oddly in the sunlight. “Is it?” He asked with a bland smile. Naomi watched him in suspicious silence for a moment until he finally said, “Humans are a very forgetful race, aren’t they?” 

“Yes, I suppose we are,” Naomi said slowly. She looked between the inscription and the tiny smile playing around Vahid’s mouth. “What do you know that I don’t? Were dragons involved with this place somehow?” 

Vahid just blinked and her and sauntered away. “Vahid!” Naomi called after him. “I want to know!” He didn’t stop. “Bastard,” she muttered. She took one last curious look at the inscription and jogged after him. 

Naomi let her spark guide them, winding through the city until they reached Old Town. Narrow lanes twisted between mud-brick buildings, revealing a number of hidden courtyards and shops. Naomi’s careful focus on her magic didn’t detract from the peaceful atmosphere of the oldest part of the city. 

She hesitated outside of a small house they came across only minutes later. Her magic sparked, reacting to the presence of another magic user inside. Vahid glanced between her and the door. “Here?” He asked quietly. 

A man’s voice, hoarse and flat, spoke before Naomi could answer. “You should come inside, جرقه, to ask your question.” A wrinkled face appeared in the doorway. “There are many ears listening to what one like you has to say.” 

“Are you Hassan Ahadi?” Naomi asked, trying not to feel unsettled by the man’s general everything. 

“Yes. That fool outside of town sent you this way, I assume.” 

“If you mean Matthew, then yes, he did.” Naomi stepped inside when Hassan gestured for them to enter. “He’s dead.” 

“I know,” was the short reply. Hassan narrowed dark brown eyes at Vahid. “Strange company you keep, spark.” 

Vahid bowed politely. “We appreciate your hospitality, Khānum Hassan.” Hassan seemed slightly appeased by the respectful honorific, though he studied Vahid closely for another long moment. Just when Naomi started to be concerned about his interest in the dragon, Hassan stomped off into the house. 

“Come, I have breakfast ready.” 

Naomi and Vahid shared a look before following him. “Were you expecting us?” Naomi asked carefully when she saw three plates set out on the table. 

Hassan paused for a brief second. “I felt dark magic at work last night,” he admitted. “I had a feeling that I would find visitors on my doorstep this morning.” 

“Matthew left me a note,” Naomi told him. The witch tilted his head, distracted with the bread cooking in the oven. Naomi thought she saw the slightest flare of interest in the witch’s eyes, though, and hesitated. Vahid’s shadow seemed to grow behind him in response to her unease. 

“Your mentor left his belongings with me when he grew worried about an attack,” Hassan told her when the pause stretched out for too long. “I have them stored for you. He knew you would come to our side of the world eventually.” 

“Thank you,” Naomi said politely. “Before I get them, we were wondering if you could help us with something.” She accepted a cup of tea from the witch and felt a rune on her thigh grow warm. She used her magic to assess the cup’s contents, not willing to be poisoned for trusting a stranger. Vahid waited until she sipped her own tea to do the same. 

“With your mentor’s task?” Hassan asked, passing bread with cheese and jam to each of them. 

Naomi frowned. “What task?” 

“He was concerned over a few deaths,” Hassan said dismissively. “In the surrounding villages.” 

“What kind of deaths?” 

“Strange deaths. Unusual circumstances.” 

Naomi fished her phone out of her pocket and pulled up the photos of the runes she had taken back at Matthew’s house. “Unusual like this?” She asked, showing Hassan the first photo. 

The witch jerked away. “Put those up,” he hissed. “That is dark magic, for calling evil! Do not bring that here!” 

Naomi locked the phone screen and waited until the old man was calm again to say, “They were in a circle around Matthew’s body. Do you know what they mean? What they’re used for?” 

Hassan pressed a hand to his chest and scowled. “No,” he said angrily. “I do not practice magic like that. It is  _ asking  _ evil to consume you.” 

“But you helped Matthew, didn’t you?” Naomi pressed. “It’s why he told me to come find you. Because you knew what was going on.

“I helped him when asked,” Hassan said tightly. “Because that is what one does for their neighbor and friend. But I had  _ no  _ involvement in the search. I knew better than to stick my nose into this, into evil’s path!” 

“We are sorry to have upset you, Khānum Hassan,” Vahid said smoothly. “It was not our intention.” Naomi resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She would upset anyone she wanted to, if it meant finding Matthew’s killer. She owed him that much. 

Hassan relaxed a little, the indignant affront falling away. Naomi still saw fear in his eyes though,  _ real _ fear at the sight of the runes. She put her phone away and sat back, resigned to getting no concrete answers from the witch. 

“There is one place,” Hassan said slowly, thoughtfully. “One place I know of that would have the answers you seek.” 

“Answers to what kind of runes these are?” Naomi questioned. “What they’re meant to do?” And how they could drain a spark entirely, something that worried her more than she would let on. 

“Yes.” Hassan tapped a finger on the table. “An old city, left in ruins now. But it once held great magic, ancient knowledge that would contain answers for you.” 

“Where is it?” Naomi asked. She saw Vahid’s eyes grow distant in the corner of her vision. He looked confused, like he was grasping for something just outside of his reach. 

“I do not know exactly.” Hassan hedged. “No one does. No one but him.” He jerked his chin at Vahid’s still form, dark eyes glittering. 

Vahid seemed to be holding his breath. Naomi looked between them, the hairs on her arms raising at the quiet tension, broken again by Hassan’s raspy voice. 

“Go home, dragon. You will find your answers there.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I managed to write two chapters this week after almost a month of being unable to write anything. Feeling pretty good about that! 
> 
> I think I'll stick to Monday and Thursday updates, assuming all goes well. Thank you all for the love and support <3


	7. Darcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After a month straight of Bad Days, I've written three chapters in two days and I'm reading everyone's comments with a smile on my face, so I decided to give you all an extra update for the weekend. Thank you all <3

**Darcy**

“Kid, why do you keep adopting strangers? And bringing them to my tower?” Tony bemoaned on the flight back. Santiago looked away to hide his smile.

Darcy ignored him, too busy concentrating on flying the Quinjet. Tony had gracefully stepped aside to let the expert teach her. Rhodey had eyed him dangerously for the sarcasm but let it slide in favor of helping Darcy learn to fly.

“So,” he said quietly. “You're magic.”

“I am.” She glanced over at him. “Though I'm not sure what all Tony told you, so if you have any questions…”

“It was the single most disjointed, confusing conversation I've ever had. And I've known him for decades.” Darcy laughed. Tony leaned back towards the cockpit to stare suspiciously.

Rhodey patiently talked her through the landing process back at the tower. Darcy shouted in triumph when she managed it with minimal difficulty. “You’re a natural, kid,” Rhodey praised.

“It helps that this thing is so high tech,” she admitted. “It takes a lot of the necessary skill out of the equation.” The auto-correcting landing feature had certainly saved her graceful landing a few times.

“Nah,” Tony dismissed. “That was all you, kid.”

“Sure it was,” Darcy drawled, but she smiled gratefully at him as they exited the jet. “Thanks, Tony.”

He winked at her. “Anytime.”

Santiago followed her off of the landing pad to the training rooms a few floors below. Tony and Rhodey veered off to harass Pepper into going to lunch. “So,” Darcy said. “Like I was saying, there’s about twenty of us in total, but we’re expanding. We operate in teams of four to six, depending on the mission.”

“Who decides the missions?” Santiago asked.

Darcy glanced at him, taking in the warm brown eyes and black hair that grew past his ears. A dark beard accented his easy smile and strong facial structure. “I do, along with Stiles and Maria Hill.”

“The other spark?”

Darcy nodded. “Maria’s the director. She oversees the division.” They paused as a handful of security agents passed by in the hallway. Darcy noted that agents all snuck curious glances at them.

“And the humans?” Santiago asked quietly.

“They have no idea. They’re all building security, and for the SI executives.” She pressed her hand to the heavy door, allowing her spark to seep into the wards. They activated with a low hum. The door slid open, Darcy leading the way. “Everyone is in training right now, I think.”

The gym was huge, taking up nearly a third of the floor dedicated to the Supernatural Division. Labs and living quarters appropriated the rest of the space. Darcy surveyed the room, taking stock of its inhabitants.

Stiles and Derek worked seamlessly together in a sparring session against Cora and Kira, who didn’t yield an inch. Imani practiced her self defense with Sam and Steve’s thorough instruction. A steady _hiss-thud-hiss-thud_ sounded, Allison and Clint locked in an archer’s battle inside the narrow enclosure to their left.

Natasha, overseeing the new division support agents sent by Maria, turned at Darcy’s arrival. She flicked her gaze over Santiago, interest flaring.

“This is… Wow.” Santiago scanned the group with his brows raised.

“Not terrible?” Darcy asked.

“This is much more legitimate than I was giving you credit for,” he admitted.

Darcy opened her mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Laura breezing into the room and unceremoniously throwing her bag aside. “I’m so fucking tired of everyone,” she announced. “I need to blow off some steam before I snap and rip someone's throat out. With my teeth.”

“That is Laura,” Darcy said calmly. Santiago seemed a little shell-shocked at the sight of the beautiful Alpha werewolf stripping down to a tank top and shorts. “She’s the Hale Alpha.”

“Is that so,” he murmured. He watched as Natasha separated from the support staff and tipped her head towards an open area. Laura grinned wickedly and joined her, rolling her shoulders in anticipation.

The following fight was a blur of movement. Laura’s skill had only grown in the time she’d been Alpha, her pack’s strength giving her explosive power that few could match. But the Black Widow had a few tricks up her sleeve, and held her own against the ‘wolf.

Most of the gym stopped their own workouts to watch the brutal fight. Laura was grinning wide, fierce and beautiful. Natasha was as silent as a ghost, though Darcy recognized the slight curl of her mouth that said she was enjoying herself as much as Laura.

Cora appeared at Darcy’s side. “She’s been going a little crazy.”

“Her work has been stressful lately,” Darcy agreed. “And the city is feeling a little suffocating even for me.”

“We need to run,” Cora murmured. “It’s been too long.” She eyed Santiago. “Who’re you?”

Darcy sighed at her little sister’s brusqueness. “This is Santiago Gonzalez,” she introduced. “Santiago, Cora Hale.” They exchanged an odd shifter greeting, body language and gazes doing most of the mutual acknowledgment.

“You smell weird,” Cora said, wrinkling her nose. Across the room, Laura and Natasha tangled together in an exchange of blows. A low growl echoed through the training room as Laura’s canines elongated in response to the combat.

“God, we can’t take you anywhere,” Darcy sighed.

Santiago chuckled. “It’s alright. Werewolves tend to be suspicious of my kind.” Before Cora could ask for confirmation on that statement, Laura and Natasha broke apart. The match was a draw, both women pulling away by some unseen signal.

“Fuck, I feel so much better,” Laura huffed. “Thanks, Nat.” Natasha cocked her head in question at the Alpha werewolf. Laura waved a hand. “Nah, I’m good for now. Just needed to take the edge off.”

Natasha drifted back to her work with the support staff after throwing a wink in Laura’s direction. Laura slid her eyes towards Darcy, snatching a bottle of water out of Derek’s hand on the way over. He growled after her even as Stiles shoved another one at him.

“Darce,” Laura said when she reached them. A single bead of sweat slid from the hollow of her throat. She inhaled subtly through her mouth and turned her gaze to Santiago. “Who’s your friend?”

“Santiago Gonzalez,” he said to Laura before Darcy could.

Darcy noted the way he carefully dropped his gaze from hers, a gesture of respect for the Alpha. Laura let her shoulders relax in response. A ghost of a smile from Santiago. Laura’s chin raised a few inches, a sign that he could look her in the eyes again without causing offense.

Laura tipped her head back to drain the water bottle, exposing her throat in a careless gesture of either trust or disrespect, partly depending on Santiago’s reaction. Cora watched him like a hawk, belied by her casual stance. He simply blinked calmly at Laura, hands clasped before him even as he lost a little of the rigidity of his military stance.

“Where’d Darcy find you, kitten?” Laura drawled. Darcy smacked a hand over her face, but not before she saw Santiago’s cheeks flush.

“With Rhodey, Laura, so please behave,” Darcy groaned.

“What’s Rhodes doing with a feline shifter?” Laura asked, eyeing Santiago with interest. To Darcy’s astonishment, his cheeks reddened further under the Alpha’s considering gaze. Surely he wasn’t _shy,_ she thought. Because if he was… Well. She probably owed him an apology, then, for exposing him to this circus without warning.

“Why don’t you two talk, hm?” Darcy said. She noticed Jane lingering in the doorway to the training room, scanning the roomful of agents. “I think Jane needs me.”

Cora followed Santiago and Laura, positioning herself nearby the Alpha and the stranger. Derek and Stiles drifted closer under the guise of giving Kira space to practice with her katana.

“Got a couple hours?” Jane asked as Darcy approached.

“Sure,” Darcy shrugged. Still, she couldn’t resist checking her phone as Jane led the way back to the lab.

No messages. Her finger hovered over his contact for three seconds before she bit her lip and shoved the phone back in her pocket. “What’s up?” Darcy asked brightly. Jane’s gaze dropped to the spark’s pocket but she thankfully didn’t broach the topic.

“Just some trouble,” Jane sighed. “The Court is coming together pretty well, but I’ve had reports of fighting along the border.”

“The Seelie Court pushing their luck?” Darcy asked. She fired off a text to Erica and Boyd to let them know she wouldn’t be home for some time and then tossed her phone onto Jane’s desk. Phones were useless in the Fae realm, of course, and she’d already broken one in a minor scuffle there.

“Always,” Jane muttered. “There’s… It’s just a lot.” She scrubbed her hands over her face. “So much more territory than I thought. They’re testing me.”

“And your loyal subjects?” Darcy asked as Jane prepared to open a gate. The Fae’s power had grown further with her new title. Opening gates no longer exhausted her the way it had.

“Also testing me, but also not sure where we stand with the Seelie Court. They’re not sure if it’s okay to fight back.”

“Could start a war,” Darcy said in agreement. “Well, let’s go kick some ass.”

Jane rolled her eyes but yanked a Fae gate into existence. “This should be where we need to go.” Her brow furrowed for a moment in thought. Darcy waited, accustomed to the process. “It’s stable,” Jane said after a moment.

Darcy stepped through without hesitation, gritting her teeth when the veil slid over her skin like viscous acid water. The second she broached the parallel dimension, a shield of armor snapped into place over her skin.

Jane slid regally through a heartbeat later. She dropped her glamor without a second thought, Darcy was pleased to see. Her friend’s self-consciousness over her appearance had dissipated sometime during the countless trips they’d made to the Fae realm.

It helped that other Fae visibly quailed at the sight of Jane in all her glory. Jane wore the supernova of her magic with all the grace and poise of a devastating Queen, and rightly so.

Darcy sucked in a surprised breath at the landscape they’d stepped into.

To the left, hundreds of massive, spiked ice columns grew at a sharp angle towards the sky. The ground beneath her feet glittered brightly and crunched like gravel when she took a step. The air was warm and thick, like sweet-scented syrup despite the ease of which Darcy drew breath.

“I haven’t seen this part yet,” she told Jane.

Cosmic eyes narrowed on the spikes of ice. “Some parts of the realm are still changing. When I was over here last week, those were at ankle height.”

Darcy crouched to touch her fingertips to the thick white coating on the ground. “It’s… it’s not ice.”

“No,” Jane agreed. “I’m pretty sure it’s a gem of some sort.” She watched as Darcy crushed a small piece between two fingers with ease.

“So those things…” Darcy jerked her thumb at the angled columns.

“Are also not ice,” Jane confirmed. “They’re the same gem.” She cast a judgmental eye over the ground. “Be careful where you step. I don’t know how stable the ground is.”

Darcy cocked her head, listening to the gentle groan echoing across the blank expanse. “Where’s the trouble, then?”

Jane frowned. “The Viveox led me here earlier.” Darcy smiled at the mention of the small Fae creature. Defined by its delicate feline features and ridged horns curling out of a thick mane, the Viveox was a new discovery in the Fae realm. Tan fur and dark brown stripes offset the animal’s solid white eyes, though its barbed tail often gave Darcy pause. They survived off of sunlight, though she’d found that her spark was a sought-after substitute.

“And you didn’t see anything?” Darcy asked, cautiously inching forward.

“No, but I felt like something was off,” Jane admitted. “So I came to get you first.”

“Which I appreciate,” Darcy told her friend.

“Yeah, yeah,” Jane muttered. “You don’t get to lecture _me_ on safety.”

“Jane, honestly-” Darcy broke off with a yelp when the ground disappeared from underneath her feet.

“Darcy!” Jane shouted, lunging for her.

Darcy fell too fast for Jane to catch her. The world went white for a moment, her stomach swooping horribly as she fell. She landed after a brief fall, armored feet shattering through a thin bridge. Darcy crashed to a stop at the next bridge. She spread her feet apart to balance, knees flexed to manage the abrupt stop.

“Darcy!” Jane shouted again, desperate this time. There was a violent surge of power, Jane’s magic reacting to her worry.

More ground crumbled inwards. Darcy ducked away as it rained down on her head. “I’m okay!” Darcy called. She looked around the white cavern, noting with unease that there were huge shapes and symbols carved into the walls around her.

Thin, brittle bridges stretched across empty space, criss-crossing almost like spider webs across the massive cave. Darcy winced as the one under her feet cracked threateningly. She looked down and saw no end to the cavern.

“I’m alright, Jane, I didn’t fall far,” she assured her friend. “Shields are still up, and I don’t-” Darcy froze as a large black shape flickered in the corner of her vision. She dared to turn her head to the side a few inches.

A Fae monster crept down the walls of the cavern. It had the face and the body of a jungle cat- except for the extra pair of legs centered along its long body. Darcy saw the way it gripped the walls of the cave, the extra limbs providing a more secure grip.

Long, tapered ears pressed tightly against its skull as another monster slipped out of a narrow crevice behind it. She saw the long, muscled tail and the collection of sharp spikes at the end of it even as Jane shouted for her again.

Despite their size and weight, the surface didn’t break underneath them. Darcy braced herself and sent up a flare of magic as a test. The creatures paused their descent to watch the light shoot for the surface.

Darcy loosed a breath when they struck, almost too fast for her to see. Their tails snapped out with lethal aim, passing harmlessly through the light. She shivered when they snarled, the sound somewhat like an electric toothbrush shoved into a blender and turned on high.

Nerve-wracking, she decided. It was decidedly nerve wracking.

A third crept out at the noise, crawling effortlessly along the vertical drop. She had her shield, Darcy reminded herself. Even though Fae were notorious for developing horrifying ways to kill their chosen victims.

She glanced over at a soft crunch to find one of the monsters on her bridge, staring at her with sickly yellow eyes. Darcy drew her knife as quickly as she dared. Its eyes dropped to the blade and it made that horrible noise again, lips drawing back to expose long fangs.

Darcy shifted some, testing the stability of the bridge. The groan she heard in response was not exactly encouraging.

“Alright,” she murmured. Distantly, she was aware of the burn of Jane’s magic somewhere up top, the Unseelie Queen locked in some unknown combat.

Her rowan wood baton, strapped to her back before she’d followed Jane out of the training rooms, slid easily from its holster across her back. The slender wood was adorned with runes across every inch of its surface and had saved her life numerous times in the months previous.

Baton in her left hand, knife in her right, Darcy turned sideways on the narrow branch. Even as she did so, she took stock of the bridges below her. The monster crept forward. Darcy watched closely. After years of training with her ‘wolves, she knew what to look for.

Long claws flexed on the bridge. A dip of the haunches. A swing of the tail.

Darcy ducked as the monster launched itself at her, rolling to the far end of the bridge. As it flew overhead, she slammed her baton into the reaching front paw. A scream rattled through the cavern.

She rolled to her feet, heart pounding and knife poised to strike. But the monster had retreated, injured paw held high off the ground. It looked… shattered, she realized. As if the bones had all splintered with the blow.

Darcy assessed the damage, noted the way the precarious ground didn’t crumble under their feet the way it did hers. She thought of birds and hollow bones and wondered if, maybe…

She raised a hand and blasted the monster with a bolt of her spark, crackling like lightning through the cavern. The Fae slammed into the far wall and crumpled into a disjointed heap. Quickly, before they could react, Darcy shot the other two down as well. She leaped back when they fell past her.

The bridge beneath her feet buckled. Darcy shoved the baton back into its holster in exchange for her other knife. One in each hand, she backed as far as she dared. A jerky movement signaled the bridge’s final moments.

Darcy took three running steps and leaped into the wall. Her blades slammed deep into the alien substance. She gritted her teeth when it started to give under her weight. As fast as she could, Darcy started to scale the wall. She didn’t trust herself to teleport in this realm, didn’t want to know the consequences if she accidentally teleported back home instead of somewhere in this unfamiliar realm.

She had to move sideways a few times when entire sections of the wall dissolved above her. Desperate now, Darcy scrambled onto a bridge near the top. She had five seconds to catch her breath before the end of the bridge began to dip, the supporting wall now too weak to hold it aloft.

Darcy scrambled to her feet and sprinted across to the other side. She jumped as high as she could, slamming into the wall with bruising force. Before it, too, could dissolve, she clambered towards the surface.

Her fingers scrabbled for purchase over the edge of the cavern, sliding along the surface until she dug her fingers into the earth. Arms shrieking in pain, Darcy hauled herself up and rolled to the side in a dizzying rush before she fell again.

Dragging herself to her knees, panting and covered from head to toe in the bizarre alien substance, Darcy watched as Jane burned through her remaining foes. The second they were torn apart by the Fae Queen’s magic, Jane whirled and took a few running steps back towards Darcy.

She skidded to a stop at the sight of the spark, on her knees and bruised all to hell.

“Let’s _never_ do that again,” Darcy panted, and dropped onto her back with a groan.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't worry, Darcy and Bucky will be sorting their shit out right off the bat in chapter 9. Plus, exciting things to come from Naomi's chapter (City of Dragons, anyone?)


	8. Naomi

**Naomi**

“Go home, dragon. You will find your answers there.” There was an odd tension in the room, as if the air itself held its breath after Hassan’s command. 

“Go home? What are you talking about?” Naomi asked. She looked at Vahid. Surely this man didn’t mean the dragon’s lair. “What is she talking about, Vahid?” 

Vahid licked his lips and shifted in his chair, eyes hooded. “There was an ancient city built by my kind,” he told the spark. “The oldest city in your world, constructed by dragons before humans even walked the earth.” 

Naomi eyed Hassan. “And how do you know about it?” 

The witch took a long draw of his tea. “Stories,” he said lowly. “Stories passed down for generations in my family- and others- all the way back to the beginning.” Hassan studied Vahid for a moment. “I never thought they could be true, until you showed up on my doorstep.” 

Naomi waited for him to say something, but Vahid was quiet. “Okay,” she said with finality. “We appreciate your help,” she told Hassan. “I’ll take Matthew’s things now.” 

Hassan left them alone to collect the spark’s things. Naomi took a note out of Darcy’s book, with all of her werewolves’ tactile ways, and pressed her knee against Vahid’s in quiet support. He flashed a small smile at her that faded when the witch rejoined them. 

Naomi accepted the small bag and stood. “We appreciate your help,” she told Hassan. 

Hassan kept his eyes on Vahid. “Be careful, dragon. Your city may have answers you don’t wish to hear.” 

~*~ 

Naomi dragged Vahid out of the house and into the crowded alleyway. The air felt lighter, so much so that she nearly missed a step. Vahid steadied her with an absent touch, still distracted. She took a deep breath of the fresh air and felt the last of the tension fade from her shoulders. 

They passed a tiny restaurant hidden within the center of Old Town, with tables tucked into a small but beautiful courtyard. Naomi stared at it in consideration before taking the table farthest from the street with the best view of those passing by. 

Vahid still said nothing, so Naomi ordered for them both. The waiter seemed a little alarmed at the sheer volume of food ordered but didn’t argue. Naomi ignored his skepticism- sparks ate a lot when they needed to refuel. A dragon would need three times her normal amount. 

They sat in silence until the food came out, Naomi decidedly enjoying the peaceful town and its people. Flashes of vibrant color streamed by, a steady throng of people in brightly colored clothing. Small children laughing and playing in the narrow alleys, chasing a ball or each other. 

She wanted to come back here, one day, when she didn’t have a dealer of death to hunt down. 

“I don’t remember much of the city,” Vahid said finally. Naomi looked away from the group of kids trying to lure a puppy closer with pieces of bread and met his gaze as he continued. “I visited it a few times with my parents, only briefly, when I was very young.”

“How young?” She asked quietly. Their chances of success depended entirely on this city, it seemed. She didn’t like feeling this way, with everything depending on something she couldn’t control. 

“Before I became caught up in the human world and left it all behind,” he said wryly. “And I was hardly an adolescent then, by dragon standards.” 

“But it does exist?” 

“Oh, yes. The City of Dragons is no fairytale,” he reassured. “Al Riyadmi is very real.” He frowned thoughtfully. “Though I am surprised that the story of it has survived so long.” 

“Oral lore lasts a lot longer than you’d think,” Naomi said, adjusting her headscarf. The sun had risen with a vengeance, and she was grateful for the light fabric of her clothes. “I’ve heard lore that has been passed down over hundreds of years within a community.” 

“And this would be a fine example,” Vahid murmured. “There must have been humans that found the city before it disappeared, and lived to tell their children of it.”

They ate in silence for a moment. “Can you find it?” Naomi asked eventually. “Your city.” 

“I am not sure.” Naomi pushed the food around her plate, wondering what she was supposed to do next. She glanced up after a short silence to find him watching her with an odd expression on his face. “But I will try.” 

_ For you, _ she heard in the pointed beat of silence. He would look for this ancient city because she needed him to, needed the answers it would give her. Despite the fact that there was something off about him, as if he was afraid of what they would find in Al Riyadmi. 

“Thank you,” she said softly. Vahid nodded once in acknowledgement. “If you would rather not go looking for it,” she offered, “I can look elsewhere for answers. Al Riyadmi can’t be the only place with information on those runes. I can try another route, another magic user.” 

Vahid flicked his hand in a dismissive gesture. “No. That could take months.” 

“So could this,” she pointed out gently. “If you don’t remember where the city is.” 

“I had forgotten about the city,” he confessed. His mouth drew tight, as if the guilt dragged it into a frown. “I had forgotten about its existence entirely until Hassan spoke of it.” 

“Why?” She asked cautiously. 

“I am not sure,” he said on a thoughtful hum. “It is possible that there is old, deliberate magic involved- hiding the city is certainly something the dragons would have done. I cannot think of another explanation for forgetting Al Riyadmi existed.” 

“Do you think there are dragons still in the city?” Naomi wasn’t sure she could handle more dragons, especially if they had been hibernating like Vahid and wanted to re-enter the human world. Babysitting one dragon was hard enough, thank you. 

“I very much doubt it.” 

“Why is that?” 

Vahid’s eyes grew distant again. “There is a feeling I have. An... emptiness.” He set his fork down with deliberate care; Naomi noticed the dents in the silver handle. “I am very likely the last dragon on the earth.” 

She knew that feeling, the lost ache that came with the certainty that you were all alone in the world. That there was no one like you, no one who could understand. “I’m sorry, Vahid.” 

He shook his head, disquieted. “I let my grief overtake me for so long, and the world passed me by. Who knows how long my kind have been gone, or if I have any way of ever finding them again.” 

“Maybe there will be answers at the city,” Naomi said. She let her foot bump him underneath the table. “We can figure out what happened to the dragons, and maybe even how to find them again.”

“Even though it would mean more bothersome lizards loose in your world?” He asked after a moment. 

Naomi laughed.  “Yes, even then.” So maybe she would just deal with it- more dragons awake and roaming the earth- if it meant Vahid wouldn’t be entirely alone. If it made him lose that mournful expression in his beautiful eyes. She forced that train of thought to skid to a halt and quickly changed the subject. 

“Do you have any idea as to where to start looking?” 

Vahid shrugged. “I suppose we will just have to start flying. I could take a page out of your book and feel my way to the city.” 

“Fuck off,” she muttered. He grinned at her. “I don’t  _ feel  _ my way to anything. It’s a legitimate magical process.” And it  _ was- _ her magic reacted to the life forms it passed, and sensed those with magic or some inhuman aspect. Witches, druids, shifters, Fae. Her spark could identify nearly any supernatural it touched. 

“Of course,” Vahid said smoothly. He stood. “We should get started.” 

~*~ 

Naomi privately hoped the novelty of riding a dragon would never wear off. 

There was a magnificent freedom to it, soaring high above the clouds with only the sun for company. Like something in her chest cracked open with every powerful sweep of Vahid’s wings, the dazzling glint of the sun off of his obsidian scales. 

Vahid dipped to the side, teasing, and rumbled a laugh when she yelped. “Dick,” Naomi hissed, but she was laughing, too. She glanced back to check on their bags, strapped securely along his ridged spine to the row of spikes. 

He soared higher still, gaining altitude before they began their search. Naomi tapped him on the shoulder and shouted above the wind, “Pick a direction and I’ll help search!” Vahid paused for a moment, drifting on the breeze, and then angled west. 

Naomi waited until they were miles past the last town to let her spark free. Vahid hummed as it swept over him and down, down, down, dragging gently over the earth in a thin sheet of magic. Naomi felt hundreds of life forms below- mammals, insects, snakes, and a few humans. 

She settled back against the tallest spike- reaching nearly a foot above her head when seated- and closed her eyes to concentrate. Vahid circled obligingly when she felt something worth investigating, never complaining even when they turned up with nothing by nightfall. 

Naomi collapsed back against Vahid, who was still shifted, and fell into an exhausted sleep after eating dinner from their bag of supplies. It would only last them a few more days, with their appetites, but she was sure they could find one last stopover point before venturing further into the desert. 

She noticed a small pool of water the following morning only a few miles into their flight. Vahid circled down to it, likely wanting a bath as much as she did. Naomi went first, scrounging a bar of soap out of the depths of her bag. She washed her clothes with it as well, working fast as Vahid dozed in the shade nearby. 

Her clothes went back on wet, though the late morning heat was already drying them out. “All yours,” she told Vahid. The dragon blinked lazily in her direction. Naomi put her hands on her hips and scowled at him. 

“Bath,” she told him, pointing at the pool of water. “You smell.” He puffed a mouthful of smoke at her. “We can nap through the afternoon,” she reminded him, waving the smoke away. Something they’d been doing to avoid the worst of the heat. “Our clothes need time to dry out, anyway.” 

Silver eyes drifted pointedly closed again. “Brat,” Naomi muttered. She eyed his spikes in consideration, the long line of his tail. “If you aren’t going to bathe, then I’m hanging my clothes up to dry on you.” 

A rumble of discontent, followed by an offended stare. Naomi just shrugged at him. “If you’re going to just lay there, then- hey!” She ducked as the dragon launched himself over her head and into the pool. The wave of water smacked into her, sending her stumbling a few steps. 

“You are the worst,” she complained, wiping the water out of her eyes. 

“I am a dragon,” Vahid said, shifting back into his human form. “Not a clothesline.” He scowled at her, standing in the waist-deep water like the cover of some cheap romance novel. Water dripped down his naked body, rivulets trailing from his shoulder-length black hair. 

Naomi valiantly kept her eyes on his face and not the muscled line of his shoulders or the dark trail of hair down his belly. He was lean, not unlike Alec’s powerful frame from all the swimming. Flying apparently did wonders for the human physique. 

She shrugged, casual, and tossed him the soap. “It was worth a shot.” 

“Undignified,” she heard him grumble. Naomi rolled her eyes at him and tossed his own bag closer to the edge so he could wash his clothes as well. She created a thin shield of her magic to lay her clothes out on so they wouldn’t become covered in sand. The runes on her thigh glowed as she set up wards around their little camp, hiding them from sight. 

After a long morning of scanning the desert with her power, even those small tasks made her head throb. Naomi hadn’t slept well the previous night, despite her exhaustion. She’d been plagued by nightmares of Matthew’s death, jolting awake with memories of the excruciating pain the old spark had been in when he died. 

They hadn’t spoken in years, both of them withdrawing to their own respective corners of the world. Too much death, grief, pain to do anything but retreat and mourn all they’d lost. 

She regretted that deeply. They would never have that chance to reconnect now, to lean on each other through their past grief and witness the future that the younger generation promised. 

Naomi quietly swore to herself to not ever let go of that hope again. She would help her kind rebuild, no matter the danger or threats against them. 

“That is a truly spectacular scowl,” Vahid said mildly. She glanced up, unaware of his approach as she tested the washed blanket from her bag. Still too wet to nap on. 

She sighed. “Just thinking.” 

“Angry thoughts, evidently.” Vahid frowned down at the line of clothing, eyes darting to the way the skin around her eyes was tight with the headache. 

“There’s space for you to lay your clothes out, too,” she told him before he could speak. “If you want.” He didn’t move to do so, just watched her for another moment. 

Just when she was getting irritable with all the side-eye, Vahid shrugged. “I will shift back for a nap, I think. Do me a favor and lay my clothes out on my tail once I have done so.” 

Naomi briefly considered smothering him in the hot desert sands. He shifted before she could act. She eventually decided against picking a fight with a dragon and draped both of their clothes over the long, muscled tail to dry. 

The tension headache dissipated shortly after she dissolved everything but their protective and camouflage runes. Naomi massaged the back of her neck and let her eyes drift closed. She didn’t know how long she stood like that before Vahid swung his enormous head around to gently bump her. 

Naomi swayed, balancing herself with a hand on the dragon’s nose. “Don’t push,” she said tiredly. He huffed at her, smoke puffing out of his nostrils. “Yeah, yeah. I’m coming.” She snatched up her somewhat damp blanket and tucked herself into the curl of his neck for a nap. 

They wordlessly agreed hours later to fly through the evening and into the night, taking advantage of the cooler temperatures. Naomi stretched before climbing back onto Vahid’s mountainous back. 

He launched them into the sky. Contentment settled in her chest at the now-familiar sight of the rapidly approaching sky. It tinted blue, then purple, and the settled into a dark blanket of stars over them as Vahid flew. 

Naomi let her spark do a sweep of the blank space, feeling better after the long nap and quick meal they’d shared before returning to their efforts. Nothing caught her interest for miles upon miles- not until well into the night. 

She sat upright with a frown when her spark moved a little too easily past a certain place far below, like a slippery glide urging her along. _ ‘Nothing here,’ _ it said.  _ ‘Nothing to look at.’  _

Except. 

Naomi tapped Vahid twice on the shoulder to signal. He circled around immediately, floating on the night breeze as she settled her magic over that strange place below. An insistent nudge, an almost rude  _ ‘move along,’  _ pushed back. 

She funneled more power into the search- and instantly regretted it. The odd blankness below twisted, grew, until it was a whirlpool sucking her in. Her magic caught on the edges, fighting the forceful drag of the region. 

A bone-rattling roar echoed inside of her mind. Naomi flinched, losing her focus, and reached desperately for Vahid’s spike as the world tilted dangerously. Her fingers brushed the edge of the spike in front of her before her vision went dark. 

Naomi was absently aware of her body slipping off of Vahid’s back. She hurtled towards the earth miles below, her magic grappling with the force dragging her straight out of the sky. Another bone-rattling roar, this one much closer. 

Vahid, she realized absently. That was Vahid’s roar, which meant the one from before… 

Naomi spread her arms and legs to try and slow her descent. She reached for her spark, felt it detach from the other power and swell to life again. She could see the dunes now, already so close to her death. 

Her spark surged. She stretched out a hand, desperate now, and let a shield snap over every inch of her body. It wouldn’t do much, but maybe- 

A dark shape slammed into her. Naomi shouted in surprise, twisting around in the sudden cage even as she was lifted higher. Vahid snarled above her, but the grip of his claws was gentle. 

Naomi went limp with relief. She gave a breathless laugh, trembling like a leaf. Vahid circled down to the earth and landed awkwardly to avoid crushing her. He opened his claws. Naomi dropped to the ground to her knees, shaking too hard to stay upright. 

She leaned forward onto her hands and tried to remember how to breathe like a normal person. Vahid shifted behind her, the massive dark shadow twisting impossibly into a human again. 

“What,” Vahid asked, fury lighting his eyes a brilliant silver. “Was that?” 

Her stomach rioted. Naomi clamped down, mouth pressed into a tight line, until the urge to vomit passed. She shook her head in answer to his question. 

“What would possess you to jump?” He snarled. “You could have died!” 

“I didn’t  _ jump,” _ she rasped. “There’s something down here. It pulled me in.” Naomi climbed unsteadily to her feet. 

Vahid stepped in close, scanning the surrounding darkness with a predatory gaze. Anger still beat inside him like a war drum, sending his shadow soaring above them. Shadow wings stretched wide even though Vahid remained in human form. “What was it?” He asked. 

“It was a place, I think.” Naomi shivered at the warmth emanating off of him like a furnace and inched subtly closer. “Wards, maybe, to keep it hidden. But it was strong- strong enough to yank me right out of the sky.” 

Vahid was standing frozen in place. 

Naomi followed his gaze and frowned at the empty darkness. “Vahid?” She asked, tentative. There was something vulnerable in his expression, caused by whatever he seemed to be able to see. 

“You don’t see it?” He asked, gesturing to the nothingness. Naomi shook her head. Vahid reached out for her hand without taking his eyes off of the empty space, as if afraid the vision would disappear if he looked away. 

Naomi felt his hand brush against her, strong fingers winding around to grasp her own. She glanced down, cheeks feeling oddly warm, and then back up. The sun was rising, she noted absently, and followed the dragon’s gaze again to the same spot. Her heart seemed to skip a beat.

“Oh my god,” Naomi breathed. “We found it.” 

“We did,” he said numbly. Vahid looked to her, bright eyes swimming with emotion. “Welcome, نگهبان, to the City of Dragons.” 


	9. Darcy

**Darcy**

Darcy fell, bruised and battered, through the Fae gate closest to her apartment. She groaned at the thought of all of the stairs waiting for her inside the complex but trod steadily along.  _ Why _ couldn’t the Fae just  _ behave _ for 24 hours? 

She staggered up the stairs, rubbing at the lingering ache in her shoulder. Her door opened with a small stream of magic. She stumbled inside, muttering under her breath as she slammed the door closed behind her. And promptly froze in place at the sight of Bucky standing in the kitchen with dark cloth in his hand. 

“What’re you holding?” Darcy asked as she reached to unbuckle her weapons harness, hissing when her arms protested. 

“What the hell happened now?” he asked instead of answering, staring at the glittery white substance coating her from head to toe. “Where have you been?”

“Fae realm,” Darcy muttered. She dropped back against the door, giving up on the harness for the moment. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Because she’d probably be having nightmares later tonight about bridges dissolving underneath her feet, of alien predators lunging for her, of the ground giving way to dark caves. 

She refocused on the item in his hand. “Is that my shirt?” She asked, squinting at the tattered cloth. 

Bucky looked down at it, as if he’d forgotten it was in his hand. His brow furrowed. “Yeah. I found it on the bathroom floor.” 

“I was going to clean up,” she said tiredly. “Before you came back.”  _ If you came back,  _ she said with the hunch of her shoulders and averted gaze. 

“It’s… doll, it’s  _ covered _ in blood.” He lifted it a few inches, something helpless in his gaze. “What the hell happened?” 

Darcy shrugged, then winced as her shoulders screamed in protest. “I couldn’t sleep,” she confessed. “So I went out.” 

“Out on patrol?” Bucky asked sharply. “Alone?” 

She cut her gaze to him, suddenly angry. “Yes, on patrol,” she said dangerously. “Because it was better than laying around here waiting for you to decide to talk to me again.” His own expression wavered. “Cora was with me,” she finally said when he only looked back to the blood-coated shirt. “I wasn’t alone.” 

“But you were going to go alone,” he guessed, well accustomed to the ways of her ‘wolves by now. And he certainly knew her well enough to make that leap. 

“I was…” Darcy trailed off, chewing at her bottom lip. “Angry, I guess. Frustrated.” She rubbed her thumb along the blade handle at her hip and admitted, “Hurt.” 

Bucky closed his eyes. “I didn’t meant to shut you out again,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, doll.” 

“I didn’t know how to tell you about the Hellmouth,” she said honestly. “I tried for months to figure out how to say it, but I could never seem to get the words out. And then it was over and done with, in the past, and I didn’t want to drag it all up again.” Not for him, certainly, but especially not for her. She didn’t want to remember that fight, the portal ripping her apart, watching her friend fall across the gate to Hell. 

“I don’t think you realize exactly what you mean to me,” Bucky said slowly. “What would have happened to me if you’d died.” 

Darcy slid down the door, too exhausted to keep herself upright any longer. “I have some idea,” she said with a grim smile. “Probably the same thing that would happen to me if it was you that died.” 

Bucky shook his head. “You have your entire family here, a group of people that love you more than life. You would recover, you’d move on-” 

“Fuck off,” Darcy snarled. Bucky blinked in surprise at her outburst. “Don’t think for a second that you love me more than I love you. That’s bullshit and you know it.” He opened his mouth to respond but she kept going, incensed. “So  _ what _ if I have a support system? You think they’re not your people, too? You think they don’t love you? Bucky, everything I have here is something  _ we _ have built.” Maybe not her pack or Jane, but the rest of it she’d done with him at her side, supporting her every step of the way. 

He seemed to grow tired of staring down at her and took a few steps closer to fold himself into a seated position in front of her. Bucky huffed a laugh, wiping a hand over his face. “You’re right,” he rasped. “Sometimes I forget that I’m a part of it, too, and not just your plus-one.” 

The righteous fury melted away. “You’re one of us, too,” she told him firmly. “With or without me, you have a family here.” 

Bucky took a shaky breath. Darcy gave him a moment to gather himself. Her eyes fell to the bloody shirt in his hands. She tugged it away from him and tossed it aside. Bucky watched her do it, eyes lingering on the crumpled shirt. 

“This is a part of who I am. It’s not something I can or will ever give up, no matter the cost.” She thought back to the Hellmouth, its potential for world-ending circumstances. “I would do it again, if necessary,” she said, more gently. 

Bucky dropped his face into his hands. Darcy curled into herself, knees to chest. “I know that’s… a lot. Possibly a breaking point,” she admitted even though it hurt to say the words aloud, to push them past that lump in her throat. 

“I can’t say I like it,” Bucky said, muffled into his palms. 

“It’s who I am, James. You don’t have to like it, but you do have to accept it,” she said tiredly. “I don’t want you to eventually resent me for these things. I have a job to do, one I love, and I doubt I’ll ever have true peace for any extended period of time.” 

“I know.” 

“Do you? Have you really considered what a life with me actually means?” Darcy asked, somewhat desperate. “Because I can’t… I can’t be as involved as I am, love you the way I do, and have you change your mind down the road. I just… Please, James. You have to tell me now if you don’t want this anymore, okay?” She wiped furiously at the tears falling from her eyes. “If this is all too much for you, if don’t want to- if I’m not-” 

She was gasping now, trying not to break down entirely. The constant anxiety from the extended silence from him seemed to break, with reality presenting every one of her fears. 

Bucky reached for her. “No, I’m sorry. Baby, please don’t cry.” He lifted her into his lap and let her tuck her face into his shoulder, uncaring of the weird Fae substance all over her. She felt strong arms wind around her, holding her close as she cried. Bucky held her tightly until she was all cried out, sniffling into his now-wet shirt while he continued to murmur soothing things under his breath. 

“Sorry,” she said hoarsely. “I didn’t mean to-” 

“Don’t apologize for that,” Bucky interrupted. “This one’s on me, doll.” He pressed a kiss to her hair and then gently rested his chin on top of her head. “I got scared, about losing you. About not even  _ knowing _ I’d almost lost you.” 

“I’m sorry you had to find out that way,” Darcy whispered. 

“And I’m sorry I bailed on you.” 

“We both fucked up, huh?” 

“Bound to do it eventually,” he pointed out. “Besides, I, uh, went to see Sam. To get my head straight again.” 

“What do you mean?” 

Bucky shook his head. “I had sort of a flashback, I guess. But more like… about what I was, what I used to be, only I was there again. I was the Soldier again. But by choice this time.” Darcy squirmed closer when his voice wavered. He clutched her tightly and pressed his face into her hair as he continued. “It lasted a long while, most of the day. That’s the closest I’ve come to losing control of the Soldier since… hell, I don’t know when. I felt like I would revert back to him without you keepin’ me steady,” he confessed. 

“You wouldn’t,” Darcy murmured. She lifted a hand and curled it into his shirt. “Not now. Not after how far you’ve come.” 

“I owe a lot of my recovery to you, Darce. If you hadn’t shown up in Romania, I could still be runnin’ around Europe, causing diplomatic incidents.” 

“Not likely,” she snorted. “Steve would’ve dragged you in kicking and screaming eventually.” 

Bucky huffed a laugh. “Yeah, I guess he would.” He swept a hand along her back. They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes; he reached down to help undo the harness when she squirmed uncomfortably. It dropped heavily to the floor behind her. 

She felt him take a breath to speak again, and then hesitate. Another minute, another hesitation, until finally: “Have you… talked to anyone? About the Hellmouth?” 

Darcy barely concealed a flinch. “Why does it matter? It’s over with.” 

“It is,” he agreed. “But that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s finished in your head.” She didn’t answer. He sighed, long and weary. “You have nightmares, sometimes.” 

“You do, too,” she said defensively. He said nothing, just waited her out. “It’s fine. I’m  _ fine, _ Bucky.” 

“It’s okay if you aren’t,” he said in a gentle tone. She swallowed past the lump in her throat. “After what all you’ve been through, nearly dying, the immediate jump into the SI Supernatural Division… It’s enough to hurt anyone.” Darcy said nothing in response, but Bucky could tell by the way she held herself still that she was still listening. 

He took a deep breath and quietly said, “You had a nightmare a couple nights ago. Seemed like it was pretty bad, before I woke you.” He’d said nothing that night when she had clenched her hands into fists so tight he was afraid her palms would bleed and curled into him without a word. They’d both spent the next few hours pretending to sleep. 

“It was about the Hellmouth,” Darcy admitted after a long silence. “We were fighting, all of us, and… Well. The pack didn’t get back up. Neither did you. And after that… I didn’t really want to.” Bucky closed his eyes. “I have that nightmare sometimes.” 

She tucked herself into his grip, hiding her face with a shiver. Bucky wondered how often ‘sometimes’ was. He hummed softly. “I’ve been talkin’ to Sam some,” he reiterated. Darcy nodded against his neck. “And, uh, he’s been explainin’ some things about PTSD.” 

“I don’t have-” 

“You were in a warzone,” he reminded her. “And no matter how many near-death experiences you’ve had before, that was one hell of a fight. Everyone you love was involved.” He paused, then added, “Plus, that Leviathan was the scariest fucking thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” 

Darcy huffed a laugh. He rubbed a hand along her spine, smiling to himself when she sighed and melted against him. “It’s okay to ask for help, doll,” he murmured. 

He’d noted the changes in her after that fight, the constant tension and wary eyes. It hurt him to see that, the same vigilance and trauma that he was all too familiar with. 

“I’ll think about it,” she said finally. 

Bucky nodded, knowing better than to push. He’d never appreciated it, and she sure as hell wouldn’t, either. “That’s good enough.” For now. “So, you gonna tell me what the hell you’re covered in?” 

“Would you believe me if I said I have no idea?” 

He lifted a hand to squint at the glittery substance stuck to his skin. “I would, yes.” 

“Fae realm,” Darcy said glumly. “It just gets weirder and weirder.” 

Bucky chuckled. “How ‘bout I run you a bath?” He asked, likely feeling the knots in her shoulders from her surprise climbing exercise. 

Darcy frowned thoughtfully, as if she was considering it. “Only if you join me.” 

“Deal.” 

~*~ 

“A jaguar shifter?” Peter asked three days later, eyeing her over their bi-weekly breakfast dates. “Really, darling? You had to go with cats?” Chris snorted beside him. 

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Honestly, Dad, you’re worse than Cora.” She waved her fork threateningly at him. “Santiago is good for the team. We need more people like him, to balance out all the crazy.” 

“She’s got a point,” Chris said, a smile playing at the edges of his mouth. Peter arched a brow at him. “She does,” he insisted. “I looked him up. He’s solid.” 

“Plus Laura’s totally into him,” Darcy reported. 

“Oh?” Peter leaned forward, interested. “Is that right?” 

Darcy nodded. “She doesn’t know quite what to do with him yet, though. She actually  _ likes _ this one.” 

“I’m sure that just baffles her entirely,” Peter muttered, exasperated. He’d long bemoaned Laura’s lack of patience for dating. 

“It’s kinda cute.” Darcy thought about the way Laura watched Santiago without  _ actually _ watching him, trying for subtle and failing miserably. Her pack was  _ way _ too invested in their Alpha’s love life to not be fascinated with Laura’s latest potential for romance. 

Santiago, for his part, already fit seamlessly into the unit. He was a steady, level-headed presence that had quickly proved himself invaluable in a fight and their strategy meetings. 

Darcy really hoped that they could convince him to stay. For reasons. 

Chris drained the rest of his coffee and stood. “Gotta go meet Lydia.” 

“Daughter-in-law bonding?” Darcy asked, reaching across the table to steal the remaining bacon from Chris’s plate. 

“Soon to be,” Chris said. “Hopefully.” 

“Sap,” Peter teased. 

Chris rolled his eyes and pressed a kiss to Darcy’s hair. “I’ll see you later tonight, Darce.” He kissed Peter and left. 

Peter and Darcy ate in comfortable silence. Eventually, after the waitress cleared their plates away and brought them another refill on the coffee, Peter cleared his throat. Darcy studied him, wondering about the slight evidence of nerves showing. 

Peter opened his mouth. He snapped it shut before anything came out, glancing down at his drink. Darcy frowned at him, concern growing. “So,” he said loudly. She jolted a little in surprise. “How is everything going with the division?” 

“Good,” Darcy said slowly. “Things are smoothing out in the city at least, with Stiles officially active and known now.” 

Peter nodded. “The Hellmouth was certainly an effective way to come out.” 

“It did wonders for his reputation, too,” Darcy said. The rumors circulating around the second spark only grew wilder, more dramatic as time went on. Somehow, Naomi remained in the dark- helped by the fact that most of the witnesses were pack and the others knew to keep quiet about the third, lethal spark. 

She watched her surrogate father for a moment, affection rising as he tracked the other patrons in the small restaurant. Werewolf nerves tended to show through protective behaviors- watching strangers closely, increased physical contact to soothe any anxiety regarding their pack’s safety. Even as she thought it, Peter’s foot brushed against her ankle underneath the table. “But that’s not what you were going to ask about, is it?” She guessed. 

Peter’s head snapped up. He blinked at her with wide eyes, caught. 

“What’s got you so worked up?” Darcy wondered. Peter glanced away. “Dad?” 

Something crossed Peter’s face at that, too fast for her to identify. He studied his coffee with entirely more interest than it deserved. “How are things going with Tony?” He asked, lowering his voice. 

Darcy checked the surrounding patrons, ensuring no one was listening in on them. She warded their table just to be safe- no one needed that sort of information about her or Tony, for everyone’s sake. 

She shrugged. “Fine. We’re sort of taking it day by day.” 

“Good. That’s… good.” 

Darcy narrowed her eyes at Peter. “What?” She asked, exasperated. 

He shook his head. “Now that you’ve found your real father-” 

“Yeah, no.” Peter cut off at her interruption, looking at her in surprise. Darcy smiled hesitantly at him. “Tony and I are figuring things out, sure, and he may be my biological father but  _ you _ are my dad.” She chewed her lip anxiously. “I mean, after everything, that’s how I feel.” 

Peter reached across the table to grasp her hand. “Me, too.” He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. “That’s… sort of what I want to talk to you about.” Darcy’s brow furrowed but she nodded for him to continue. “Laura has made me consider a few things that Talia and I discussed years ago.” 

“Such as?” Darcy tucked an arm around her waist, a self-conscious gesture. Peter noticed. 

“I truly, honestly consider you my daughter,” he told her quietly but firmly. Darcy ducked her head, a smile blossoming over her face. “And I’d like to make it official. I wanted to years ago, but Talia was concerned about… Well. It doesn’t matter now.” 

Darcy was staring at him with wide eyes now. Peter swallowed and continued. “You’ve had the Hale name tied to you as a foster child for a while now.” He squeezed her hand again, eyes steady on hers. “But I want to adopt you, Darcy, officially.” 

Darcy blinked back tears. Peter seemed somewhat alarmed at the sight, but waited for her response. “Yes. I… I want that, too.” 

The tension dropped abruptly from his body, as if he’d been afraid of her answer. She wiped away the wetness clinging to her lashes with the heel of her free hand. 

“You’ve always been a Hale,” Peter murmured. “You’ve  _ always _ been ours, Darcy. But now we can make that official. Cover all the bases, hm?” 

They were the words she’d needed to hear since she was twelve years old, forever uncertain of her place in the close-knit pack of ‘wolves. Some long-buried, wounded part of her seemed to heal over with Peter’s earnest tone, the words he said with the utmost sincerity. 

Darcy smiled at her dad with all the love she felt for him written across her face. “Yes.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feelings everywhere. 
> 
> Next up: Vahid & Naomi enter Al Riyadmi, The City of Dragons (ETA Sunday night!)


	10. Naomi

**Naomi**

The sun rose behind the vast ruins; shadows fled from the crumbled stone, shrinking back until the ruins were bathed in warm light. 

The ancient city of Al Riyadmi stretched far, much farther than Naomi could see from the ground. Parts of it remained standing, like the massive dome still standing tall despite centuries under nature’s touch. 

“It’s beautiful,” she breathed. “After all this time, it’s still so beautiful.” 

“Yes,” Vahid murmured. He stared at the dome with unblinking eyes. “I remember it, all of it. So many dragons, once.” A hand rose, the heel of it rubbing at the center of his chest as if to relieve an ache. “They are no longer.” 

Naomi squeezed his hand. “Look around,” she instructed. “There’s nothing here but the bones of a city. Nothing else. The dragons didn’t just die off, Vahid, there’s no way. There would be  _ some _ kind of evidence left behind.” 

“An entire civilization.” He closed his eyes, took a deep breath. “They have been destroyed before, in this realm. But no.” He shook his head. “You are right. They must have gone.” 

_ Gone where? _ Naomi wondered, but only nodded in support of his statement. “We’ll find them, Vahid. I swear, I’ll help you find them again.” 

Silver eyes studied her so intently that Naomi felt the urge to look away, hide her face. She did neither. After a long moment, Vahid nodded. “Thank you, نگهبان.“

Naomi offered a small smile and returned her attention to the city. In the far distance, massive pillars rose out of the sand in a semicircle. They stretched high into the sky, though most showed signs of wear from centuries exposed to the winds and sands of the desert. 

The pillars, the dome, the remaining signs of ancient and graceful architecture all spoke of a beautiful, prosperous civilization before the dragons disappeared. Naomi could only imagine how breathtaking it had been when the city still thrived. She could almost see dragons of all sizes and colors soaring overhead, darting in and around the open spaces the city layout suggested. 

Spaces wide enough for a wingspan, she noted curiously, but also built with their human form in mind. Naomi let her hand drop from Vahid’s and gasped in surprise.

“What? What is it?” Vahid twisted around, concerned. 

“It disappeared,” Naomi said, stunned. “It’s gone.” 

“No it isn’t.” He frowned and reached for her again. And just like that, she could see the ruins before them. Naomi shook her head, awed. Holy gods, the depth of the magic necessary for an undertaking such as this- to hide an entire city. It was incomprehensible. 

“Only a dragon can find it,” she murmured. “Only a dragon would be able to see this place.” 

“That sounds like something they would do,” Vahid muttered. 

She laughed in disbelief, hearing the slight hysteria in the sound. “This is unbelievable. Do you know how  _ complicated  _ this magic is? I doubt it would ever be possible to recreate something like this.” But oh, she would love to get her hands on the runes used to hide the city. If they even  _ were  _ runes. Who knew what kind of magic dragons possessed- even after all their time together, Naomi suspected Vahid had more potential than he let on. 

“This is incredible,” she murmured. A thought occurred to her. She frowned. “But why bother?” 

“Why bother?” Vahid repeated. 

Naomi gestured towards the ruins. “Why bother with something this complicated? They could have either hidden it entirely, assuming all the dragons went with them, or even left it to dissolve in the desert.” 

“I see. Why bother using magic to hide and preserve parts of the city when supposedly all of the dragons migrated elsewhere?” 

“There must be something here,” Naomi concluded. “Something they left behind.” 

“Perhaps those answers I may not wish to find.” Vahid cast his gaze over the ruins. “They did not all die within the city,” he said with a sweep of his hand. “Which is already a better fate than I had expected for my kind.” 

Naomi winced. “You were expecting to find them all in the city?” She asked. Her stomach swooped uncomfortably at the thought. “And you still came?” 

Those silver eyes darted to her, then back towards the dome. “Yes. But not entirely for your sake,” he said with half a smile. “I did not wish to continue wondering about their fate. My imagination was providing some rather... drastic assumptions.” 

“I guess this is somewhat better than a bunch of bodies,” Naomi muttered. “That would have certainly ruined the mood.” Vahid snorted a laugh, a surprisingly undignified noise from the dragon. 

“It would have put a damper on my enthusiasm for sure.” He assessed the city for a moment. “I have an inkling the dome would be a good place to start looking.” Naomi considered the rest of the city. The dome was the only structure truly left standing, seemingly untouched by the centuries. 

Vahid led the way, still clutching her hand. “There used to be a river here,” he murmured. 

Naomi tore her attention away from the remains of a house. “A river?” 

“An enormous, winding river. It snaked through the city- see there, how the space empties between the buildings?” Naomi eyed the nearly half mile gap between two sets of crumbled buildings and nodded. “The river went along that path, all the way through the city.” 

Vahid paused and pointed to the east. Naomi squinted against the rising sun. “Part of the palace was built over the river and served as a trading port within. You could fit an entire human city in the port. It was filled with shops and traders from all over.” 

“Humans?” Naomi asked.

“A rare few. But there were others. Fae, shifters, dragons who chose to live separated from the rest. My parents took me to the port to show me the ways of our society, how we met and welcomed outsiders.” 

“Anyone was welcome?” 

“Anyone,” he confirmed. “Though early humans began to integrate themselves into our way of life soon after I first visited Al Riyadmi. The traditionalists of my kind did not appreciate it, even then.” 

Naomi clambered over rubble as they neared the dome, careful not to lose her grip on his hand. She had no desire to wander around the ruins blind. Peering up at the dome, Naomi had the odd sense of sympathy for an ant staring up at a skyscraper. 

“It was built to hold dozens of dragons at a time,” Vahid said with a smile at her wide-eyed wonder. “And the oldest of my kind tended to be rather large.” She watched as he pressed a hand to the volcanic black, solid doors. They were so large she had to crane her neck back to see the top of them, decorated with a dizzying mass of long grooves and swirls. 

“Our Queen ordered this dome built,” Vahid shared. “She designed it, and personally created these.” 

“The doors?” 

“Yes. They are volcanic rock, carved from a place the oceans have likely swallowed now.” 

“And these?” Naomi asked, tracing her fingers over the lovely design. 

Vahid smiled. “Let me show you.” Naomi took a few steps back from him, grimacing when the world returned to an empty expanse around her. Vahid shifted beside her, careful to avoid crushing her as he did so. He turned to blink down at her, waiting patiently as she re-joined him and rested a hand on his front leg. 

The city re-appeared within a blink. Naomi nodded up at the dragon when he peered at her. “I can see again.” 

Vahid swung his head around to face the doors. Naomi braced herself at the first rumble within his chest, feeling it echo deep within her bones. Fire streamed out of the dragon’s open mouth, burning so hot that she snapped a shield in place against it. 

Naomi gasped aloud at the sight of the doors. Glowing molten red, the deep grooves in the door moved sinuously underneath the heat. The sight was positively entrancing, like lazy ribbons of lava swirling across the volcanic rock. 

Vahid hummed at the sight, making the ground tremble below her feet. He bumped his nose against the center of the doors. They swung soundlessly open, the grooves still burning molten hot. Vahid shifted back and immediately reached for her hand again. 

“Come, نگهبان. This is the heart of Al Riyadmi. Our answers will be here.” Naomi stared up, neck aching at the strain. She could just barely see the top of the dome. “It opens, you know,” Vahid told her. 

She gaped at him. “What?” 

“The dome.” He gestured to the ceiling high above. “The Queen’s engineers created a system, using fire and steam for power. The dome shifts to the side, folding over the stone pieces, see? They create slots of space for light from the sun or moon overhead. When it opens, the entire dome is lit from within like a gem. You could see it glow for miles.” 

“A beacon,” Naomi murmured. 

Vahid nodded. “Precisely.” 

“This is incredible.” Naomi pressed her free hand to her chest and tried to imagine the glossy black dome lit gold or silver with each passing day and night. 

“Our Queen was an artist at heart,” he recalled. “Brilliant in politics and war, sure, but her soul was brightest when she was creating.” 

“So you were a monarchy.” 

Vahid shrugged. “More or less. Dragons, in case you haven’t noticed, tend to be rather difficult.” 

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” Naomi muttered. She couldn’t fathom hundreds, thousands, of dragons obeying a single ruler. She had a feeling they were a notoriously difficult race to rule.

“But the ruling family lineage stretches back as far as living memory at that time. They were a highly respected family, noble in its truest definition.” He tugged playfully on her hand. “And they shifted into dragons as gold as the sun, as golden as your own magic.” 

“Does that mean something special?” 

“No. But it is rare for a line to remain entirely one color, especially with numerous outside marriages. Some said it meant they were divine. Others laughed at that- dragons do not have gods.” He noticed her curious expression. “We were the gods of this continent first. We would not worship a lesser being- and there were none greater, for sure.” 

There was a staggering amount of arrogance to the statement, but Naomi had to concede one thing- there were certainly no greater beings than dragons in this realm. She wondered how many early human divinities and myths derived from the dragons’ ancient presence. 

They moved from underneath the center of the dome, the sheer size of the building stealing Naomi’s breath away. Ten dragons could easily shift in the dome, with more than enough wing space for them all. 

Vahid remained human as they explored the empty dome. Naomi observed numerous doorways, some human-sized, others dragon-sized, branching off of the circular building. The largest one, Vahid informed her, led to the port somewhere to the east. 

Naomi could almost see the way it had been all those years ago. The port a busy, cheerful place with diverse people and magics, a sprawling city and flowing river. And at the heart of it all, the dome- the gem of the city, crafted by a beloved dragon queen. 

Traders, artisans, warriors, scholars. Dragons from all over the continent, all over the world, maybe. Fae and shifters, magic users of all kinds, visiting and sharing knowledge and stories. 

It sounded like a fantasy, but it was one that she ached to see. 

“How different things would be,” she said softly. “If humans knew of this from the start.” 

“It would be an entirely different world,” Vahid told her. “I cannot imagine what your world would have become.” 

He led her further into the dome, heading for a mid-sized passage. “Where are we going?” Naomi asked. 

“The Library of Soraya,” Vahid told her. “Named for the eldest princess. She started the library when she was very young. Her brothers flew far and wide to bring her scrolls of information and knowledge, and eventually so did hundreds of others.” 

He led her into the depths of the building. Her curiosity grew the further they went, faintly aware of the slight dip in the floor that suggested they were walking deeper into the earth. Finally, they rounded the wide turn that revealed a smaller copy of the dome’s front doors. 

Except- “These are runes,” Naomi said, hushed. “Runes I’ve never seen before.” She brushed her fingers over the symbols etched into the door, markings so intertwined that it was difficult to make sense of them. 

“Soraya was one of the greatest scholars in our history,” Vahid murmured. 

“Do you have to open this door the same way?” Naomi asked warily. 

Vahid laughed softly. “No, I would not dare. Even with the dragons absent from this realm, Soraya would likely find a way to return and roast me alive for threatening her scrolls.” 

“You knew them well?” 

“My father was close with the Queen,” Vahid admitted. “All five of the royal children were my friends when we were hatchlings.” He pressed his palm flat against the doors. The symbols burned the same molten red at the touch. “Are you ready?” Vahid asked her. 

Naomi met his silver gaze and nodded. Vahid opened the doors. 

~*~ 

She had never seen anything like it in her life. 

The Library of Soraya was colossal. Every awed thought she’d had of the mind-boggling size of this city evaporated in the face of the library. Naomi pressed a shaking hand to her chest and stared at the thousands upon thousands of scrolls. 

The library was unending, a collection of knowledge so vast that it would take lifetimes to explore it all. Cool, dry air drifted through the room, bringing a faint scent of spices and water and a nostalgia for a world long forgotten, a world she’d never even experienced but somehow ached for anyway.

At her side, Vahid stood frozen in place. Naomi turned distractedly towards him, breath stolen with her awe and wonder. “Vahid?” He didn’t answer, too busy staring at a statue of a woman deeper within the maze of the library. 

Naomi peered at the statue, noting the details of the woman’s full figure. She was tall and regal, dressed in a white robe that draped across her body with alarming authenticity. A faint pattern of ink- tattoos, maybe?- marked every inch of the woman’s skin visible beneath the robe. Across her forehead, like a crown of runes, over lips and chin and down past the neck of her robe. They weren’t runes Naomi recognized, likely some long-forgotten language from the ancient world. 

Vahid cleared his throat. Naomi winced when his grip on her hand tightened painfully. She glanced over, surprised to see wariness on his face. Before she could ask him about it, he spoke. 

“High Sage.” The words were a ringing declaration through an empty room, echoing off of shelves and hollow spaces in an abandoned capital. 

“She’s a High- oh my god.” Naomi stumbled backwards as the statue came to life. “Oh my  _ god.” _

Dark, fathomless eyes opened to stare at the pair of them. Slowly,  _ too _ slowly, life returned to the statue until a breathing woman stood in front of them. When she spoke, her voice was deep and powerful, like fog rolling across thrashing waves. 

“Welcome, Vahid Tehrani.” Naomi tried not to shiver as those eyes drifted to her. “Your companion is نگهبان.” 

“Yes, High Sage. She is my friend and ally.” 

“Then you are welcome as well, نگهبان,” the High Sage said evenly. She returned her attention to Vahid. “I have waited for your arrival for some time, brother.” 

“I apologize, sister.” Vahid bowed lowly, respect in every inch of the gesture. “I find I cannot explain…” He trailed off helplessly. 

“Do not fret.” A soothing tone, so at odds with tension in her frame. Stiffness, maybe, from whatever magic had kept her frozen for centuries. The High Sage lifted a hand, gestured to the empty room. “You were kept in stasis by magic more powerful than any of us knew existed.” 

“What kind of magic?” Naomi asked, concerned. 

The High Sage studied her for a moment. “I do not know for certain,” she admitted freely. “But it was done for the good of this realm.” She watched their expressions wrinkle in confusion. “Threats to the preservation of this realm, events that would come to pass. Events that would need the might of a dragon to save them.” 

“Knowing he would be needed one day?” Naomi wondered. “Is that why he slept so long?” 

“It is likely.” She drifted forwards a few steps, robe billowing around her with angelic elegance. “You may call me Nia. I am the Keeper of Al Riyadmi.” 

“Why are you also here, Nia?” Vahid asked. “Where have our people gone?” 

Nia’s eyes were solemn. “They have long since passed from this world, brother.” 

“Passed?” Vahid choked out. Naomi stepped minutely closer, a supportive warmth at his side. A tremor wracked his body, grief and fear thick in his voice. 

“Not dead. I will explain, soon,” Nia promised when his eyes lit with hope. She turned to Naomi. “But I believe you have a pressing matter at hand.” 

“I… do, yes,” Naomi said slowly. “I’m not sure how  _ you _ know about that, though.” 

“Threads of fate,” Nia informed her, a regal tilt to her head. “They are tied closely to you, burning as bright as the sun. Whatever your quest, it is vitally important to your world.” 

Naomi floundered for a moment, not wanting to interrupt this crucial moment for Vahid. The dragon took a deep breath, though, and nodded for her to go ahead. “A friend of mine, another spark, was killed. The killer used runes I’ve never seen before that stole the life out of him with hardly a fight.” She pulled a small notebook from her backpack and showed Nia a few of the runes Naomi had copied onto its pages the previous night; she’d had a feeling her phone would not work here. 

Nia cocked her head in thought and then wandered to an organized pile of scrolls nearby. The High Sage pulled a scroll off of the top and unravelled it with care. After a moment of consideration, she nodded and looked at the dragon and the spark. 

“What do you know,” Nia asked gravely, “about necromancy?”  

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An extra weekend update because I've been surprisingly productive lately, despite my annual reread-Harry-Potter tradition throughout this week. 
> 
> Also, I'm just really excited about the dragons.


	11. Darcy

**Darcy**

“Has all of your super-spy training prepared you for this moment?” Tony asked as he fiddled with his cufflinks. 

Darcy snorted. “This is not really my best skill set, to be honest.” She slid her hands over the body of her bright red dress, afraid to make any sudden movements for fear of her breasts spilling out of the top. 

“You won’t fall out of the dress,” Natasha told her. “Stop messing with it.” The assassin swatted Darcy’s hands away from where she was tugging at the fabric, wanting more coverage. “I taped you in there, you have nothing to worry about.” 

“Oh, right, that actually happened,” Clint said as he joined them, tugging at the hopelessly tangled knot where his tie should be. “I thought I was having a fantastic lucid dream or something.” 

Tony eyed the archer dangerously, but Natasha beat him to it with a solid yank on the tie. Clint staggered back, choking and clawing at the sudden noose around his neck. 

“You’re ready for this,” Natasha said calmly, ignoring Clint’s desperate squawking in the background. 

“But you don’t have to do it if you don’t want to,” Tony interjected. He bravely dismissed Natasha’s warning glare and continued. “I can handle Hydra’s pathetic attempts at integrating into my company, Darce.” 

“You don’t know who they’re reporting to,” Natasha reminded him. “The agents we’ve discovered are answering to someone higher within the organization, possibly even on your advisory board.” 

“I want to help,” Darcy said before they could start the familiar argument. “Nat and Clint have been teaching me a few things. I can handle it.” She smiled reassuringly at Tony’s disgruntled scowl. “Besides, I get to go to a fancy party in a designer dress that I didn’t have to pay for.” 

“I know,” Tony sighed, though a smile played at the corners of his mouth. “Pepper showed me the receipts from your shopping trip. It’s not even remotely close to the worst she’s done before.” 

“Rage-shopping is a therapeutic approach,” Pepper said as she drifted gracefully into the room. Darcy admired the blue floor-length gown that accentuated the long lines of Pepper’s body. “And after dealing with the board for three days straight, I needed it.” She smiled at Darcy and Natasha. “You two look lovely.” 

Happy cleared his throat from the doorway. “I’ll go pull the car around.” 

“Thank you, Happy,” Pepper said. She turned to study a purple-faced Clint as Natasha finally went to help him. 

Tony slid his hands into the pockets of his slacks and glanced at Darcy. “So, Jarvis tells me your adoption papers are being processed.” There was a note in his voice that she couldn’t place.

Darcy winced. She’d meant to bring it up with him earlier, but Natasha had swooped in with Pepper and Maria yesterday to take her shopping. With Jane off-world, Darcy hadn’t had a legitimate excuse to stay behind. And then she’d forgotten all about it, because Natasha had taken her aside to explain the intel she’d collected on a Hydra agent planning to infiltrate the Stark Industries charity gala. 

And now Darcy was attending the gala to flush him out- Natasha playing her wild card, since the world now knew the Black Widow’s face. 

“We, uh, could never make the adoption official,” she explained hesitantly. “Supernatural politics and all. But Laura became Alpha, and the pack has grown so much, we’re strong enough, now, to hold our own if anyone comes after us for it.” 

“Because of the adoption?” Tony asked sharply. 

Darcy shrugged. “It’s possible. Werewolf packs can be territorial assholes. If they thought the Hales were getting too overpowered, they might try to do something about it.” 

“And if they do?” 

Darcy smiled darkly. “They’ll die trying.” It was too late for anyone to come for them, now. The Hale Pack would die to protect each other, but they were strong enough that they wouldn’t have to, no matter how dangerous their opponent. It was a far cry from an orphaned spark and a pack of six ‘wolves all those years ago. 

“I meant to talk to you about it,” Darcy told him after a moment. “So you wouldn’t be blind-sided.” For everyone’s safety, the line for the father on Darcy’s birth certificate remained blank. Better that the world didn’t know who she was to Tony Stark. 

“It’s okay. I understand.” His mouth twisted. “They’re your family.” 

“They aren’t my only family,” Darcy said quietly. “Regardless of the adoption papers and the birth certificate, I know who my father is.” She found herself unable to look directly at him when she said, “I’m proud of him, and proud to be a part of his family.” 

They were silent until Jarvis informed them that the car had arrived. As the group piled into the elevator, Tony’s hand reached over to squeeze hers. “Me, too, kid.” 

~*~ 

Tony and Pepper entered the gala first. Darcy lingered with Natasha and Clint in the lobby, wanting a degree of separation from the power couple and the attention they received. 

“You know who to find?” Darcy nodded. “Good,” Natasha said lowly. “Remember, use the resources you have at your disposal.” 

“Does that include you and Clint?” Darcy asked. Natasha smiled like Darcy was finally catching on. 

“Comms in?” Clint asked. He was an entirely different person, here, steady and focused in a way she’d never seen before. 

“They’re in,” Darcy confirmed. She resisted the urge to touch the small device behind her ear and its twin embedded in her bracelet. 

“Keep ‘em in,” he instructed. “We’ll be with you every step of the way. But otherwise, this op is all yours, Darce.” 

“Stay sharp,” Natasha ordered, and disappeared into the passing crowd. 

Darcy swallowed hard but squared her shoulders, eyes hard. “Atta girl,” Clint murmured. He followed Natasha into the gala, remaining a careful distance away from his partner. Darcy wished fervently for Bucky’s presence, but he’d had to stay behind for this. Hydra would most certainly recognize the Winter Soldier in the midst of a party, and they didn’t want to spook anyone prematurely. 

“Have I told you,” Bucky said casually through her earpiece. “That you look absolutely beautiful tonight?” 

“Once or twice,” Darcy said without moving her lips. She fought the smile that tried to spread across her face at the sound of his voice. It was all the reassurance she needed to join the gala- a reminder of Bucky’s presence somewhere in the building. “Security,” he’d said, but it was more like lurking in the shadows of the building, slipping around the actual security teams without their knowledge. 

A young man caught her attention as she scanned the room. Darcy didn’t let her gaze hesitate on him, in case someone was watching her, and instead pretended to search for a waiter. She found one passing by and accepted a glass of champagne with thanks. “Got him,” she said as she raised the glass to cover her mouth. 

“Nice and easy, doll,” Bucky said. 

She turned to greet a familiar werewolf in attendance, someone she’d warded territory for only months ago, and smiled to herself when the target did a double take at the sight of her. Darcy focused on exchanging pleasantries with the group, knowing their respect for her as a spark would translate differently to the humans watching them. 

The target began to approach, casually drifting past them to listen in. 

“I am so pleased to see you here,” Amrita Rasys told her. She clasped both of her hands around one of Darcy’s and beamed at her. “I wanted to thank you, again, for all your help.” 

“Congratulations, Amrita,” Darcy said with a smile. “The gala has a wonderful turnout.” 

“Isn’t it fantastic? I was honestly not expecting so many of New York’s elite to attend.” Amrita looked around the ballroom at the gala she was partially responsible for- the event to raise money for her charity for refugees. “And you! You came with Stark Industries, didn’t you? I saw you arrive with Iron Man himself. I didn’t realize you were so important to Stark’s business endeavors,” Amrita said with a wink behind her clueless human guest’s back. 

The target’s head snapped around at that.  _ Amateur, _ Darcy scoffed to herself. 

She smiled warmly instead. “Just babysitting scientists, I’m afraid.” She tried to inject a long-suffering tone into the statement, with just enough of an edge to catch the man’s interest. 

“Busy woman,” Amrita said knowingly. Darcy could have hugged her- the words only hinted at the true nature of Darcy’s job in the supernatural world as well, but the Hydra agent didn’t know that. All he heard was a brilliant, successful businesswoman sending Darcy knowing looks and suggesting that maybe the “babysitter” was something more. 

“Always.” Darcy extracted herself from the group. “I’ve monopolized you long enough.” 

“Ah, yes.” Amrita made a face. “Time to make my rounds.” 

“Have fun socializing,” Darcy said with an honest laugh. She assessed the space behind her and turned directly into the target. “Oh!” She stumbled back, as if startled. “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there!” 

“My fault,” he said smoothly. He offered a hand. “Chad Miller.” 

_ Sure you are, _ Darcy thought, but offered her own hand. “Darcy Lewis. Nice to meet you, Chad.” 

“I couldn’t help but overhear your discussion with Miss Rasys as I passed by.” He smiled at her, friendly and disarming. “You work for Stark?” 

“I work for Pepper,” Darcy corrected. Chad laughed. She saw Clint through the crowd, caught his eye for a split second before he returned to his own conversation. A flash of red hair in the corner of her peripheral signaled Natasha passing by. 

“Even more impressive,” Chad complimented. “She’s a hard woman to win over.” 

Darcy hummed in reply. “Some may think so.” 

“Not you?” Darcy just smiled. “Wow. Any tips for me? I’m hoping to join SI one day if I’m lucky, and a few words from a brilliant woman such as yourself couldn’t hurt.” In her earpiece, Bucky snorted disparagingly. 

“I’m not so sure I can be very helpful,” Darcy sighed. “I came in with Dr. Foster a while back.” 

“As an assistant,” Chad nodded. He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly when she raised a brow at him. “Would it be creepy to say that I read your file when SHIELD fell?” 

“Yes,” Bucky grumbled. 

“Many people have likely read my file,” Darcy said forgivingly. “I get stopped occasionally with questions about Thor.” 

“But you’ve obviously made a name for yourself within SI,” Chad pressed. “If you’re high enough in the food chain to join Stark at an event such as this.” He must have thought he was clever, with the compliments and admiring smiles. What did he take her for, a complete moron? 

Yes, Darcy reminded herself. And she would play to that. 

“You learn to manage one genius scientist, you can manage any of ‘em. Pepper slipped Tony into my rotation-” somewhat true, as they tag-teamed him when he spent too long in the lab- “and things just snowballed from there.” 

They both turned at a small commotion across the room- the Stark Industries advisory board gathering around Tony and Pepper, likely hoping to get back into Pepper’s good graces after a week of being complete assholes. Darcy noticed the way Chad’s eyes darted back to the group once, twice, before refocusing on her.  _ Gotcha, _ Darcy thought. 

Natasha was right. There was likely at least one Hydra mole on the SI board, and it was Darcy’s job to find out who. She adjusted her plans a bit and turned to Chad. “But maybe I can put in a good word for you,” she suggested. “There may be a few positions opening up soon at Stark Industries.” 

“Oh?” Chad took two glasses of champagne off of a passing tray and set her empty one in its place. “Is that so? I’m not much of a scientist, I’m afraid.” 

“A business type, then? That’s even better,” she assured him. 

“There are openings in the SI business department?” He asked with a little too much curiosity.

Darcy waved a dismissive hand. “Sometimes Tony complains when I’m in the lab. I hear things.” She smiled conspiratorially. “Plus, Natasha brings her reports by when I’m there to minimize the frustration on everyone’s part. I make sure he actually reads them, she doesn’t strangle him, everyone’s happy.” 

“Natasha,” Chad said slowly. “As in...” 

Darcy gave him a puzzled smile. “Didn’t you know? The Black Widow works for Stark now. Well ‘for’ is a stretch, but she sometimes listens to him.” Clint coughed politely in the earpiece, covering a laugh. 

“Wow,” Chad managed. “That’s a lot of dangerous people in one place.” 

“You have no idea,” Darcy said with a sharp grin. “Anyway, I heard a few things here and there about some of the employees at SI.” 

“Such as?” He was positively vibrating with excitement, probably envisioning his triumphant return to his supervisors, bringing back inside knowledge from an SI employee close to the man himself. 

Darcy waited a moment, let the suspense build as they strolled casually around the room. He snuck glances at her chest, entranced by the amount of skin showing. When she spoke, she made sure her voice was low, hushed as she snuck worried glances around them to make sure no one was listening in. 

“Supposedly, the Widow has intel on Hydra agents working in Stark Industries,” Darcy confided. “I couldn’t believe it, myself. I mean, after Captain America turned his focus on them after the fall of SHIELD, I thought they had been obliterated.” 

“Right,” Chad said weakly. “Me, too.” 

“Anyway,” Darcy said, just loud enough for Natasha to hear and understand. “I trust her to root them out. I might even feel a little sorry for whoever they are, after she gets done with them.” Lie, lie, lie, but Chad didn’t notice a thing. She recognized the signs of a panicked spiral. 

The crowd parted just enough for them to see Natasha slink past the gathered board members of Stark Industries, red hair like a beacon of danger winding through the gala. “Oh,” Darcy said absently as Chad practically seized up with fear. “Funny, there she is.” She turned towards the main doors, distracted as Steve entered right on time. “I see someone I should go say hello to. Look me up later, why don’t you, and we can revisit the SI interview, hmm?” 

“What? Oh, yes, that would be great. Thank you,” he stammered. She smiled blandly, boredom visible on her face, and left him to his panic. 

“Nicely done,” Steve murmured as she joined him. He’d let his beard grow thick across his face, a terrible attempt at disguise that actually seemed to be working. 

Darcy slid a hand into the offered elbow and smiled up at him. “Why, thank you.” She made sure to look thoroughly engaged in their conversation, letting Steve monitor the man across the room. 

“He’s worried,” Steve reported. “He’s checked to make sure you aren’t looking a coupl’a times.” He curled closer to her, effectively taking all of her attention off of the room. A few minutes later, Steve spoke again. “He’s moving.”  

Darcy waited. She’d done her part- find the least experienced operative, spook him with just enough truth to cause a panic, and watch to see who he ran to. Flush out the higher up, and count on that green agent to be scared enough of Natasha to see the need for an immediate warning. 

Chad inched closer to the board members. None of them paid him any attention. Steve guided Darcy through the crowd, smiling and nodding politely at the people who made eye contact. He led her far enough that Chad would see them moving away from him, but still close enough that Steve and Darcy could circle around to get to Tony and Pepper in seconds if necessary. 

“Where do you want us?” Clint said in her earpiece. 

“Nat within Chad’s sightline,” Darcy murmured. “Watching them.” Natasha moved immediately into position. “Clint, to the corner. Watch the room.” She tipped her head against Steve’s shoulder, using the new position to eye their side of the ballroom. “Steve, eyes on Stark.” 

“Target initiating contact,” Clint said softly. Darcy glanced out the side of her eye to watch as Chad interrupted the board members’ animated discussion with Tony and Pepper, Amrita with them now. “Harrison,” Clint said. “He’s going for Harrison.” 

“Excuse me,” Chad said politely. “I have a message for Mr. Harrison here, it’s very urgent.” Harrison moved away from the group, a vein in his temple throbbing. Darcy watched them argue furiously for a moment, whispering with aborted hand gestures that expressed fury from Harrison. 

“Aaaand,” Clint drawled. Harrison snapped his head up and around. He met Natasha’s eyes a second later, the Widow observing the discussion with interest. “He’s blown, and I think he knows it.” Harrison’s face paled dramatically as he found himself within the Black Widow’s crosshairs. “Nicely done, kid.” 

“Any others?” She asked. 

A moment of quiet, and then: “Jeffries, maybe,” from Steve. “He’s lookin’ awfully nervous over there.” 

“Noted,” Clint said. “I’ve got eyes on.” 

“Chad’s making a run for it,” Steve commented. “Buck?” 

“On it.” 

“Who’s Chad talking to?” Darcy asked, frowning. “He’s on the phone now.” 

Tony turned aside from his conversation as if to cover a cough. “Jarvis,” Darcy heard him say. 

She moved away from Steve. “Watch Tony,” she told him. “Get him and Pepper out if anyone tries something.” Desperate men were dangerous men, and she wasn’t taking any chances. 

“Where are you going?” 

“I’m going to follow Chad out, see who he’s meeting.” She patted his arm when he frowned. “Don’t worry, Bucky is on his way.” 

“He was on the  _ roof,” _ Steve protested, but Darcy was already sliding through the crowd. She followed Chad out the hidden door, past a line of waiters with trays of finger foods, and through the kitchen. The catering van idled outside the open door. 

Darcy looked around and winced a little at the confused stares from the catering team. She’d have to keep any magic to a minimum with them still watching her. Cautiously, she stepped out of the open door, gathering her dress up to avoid stepping on the hem. 

She looked around, frowning. Chad had disappeared. 

Darcy gave the van a wide birth as she stepped further outside. Sudden movement caught her eye- she turned, blocked a strike to her head, and stumbled backwards when the assailant raised a pistol and shot her twice in the stomach. 

Darcy gasped in shock, hands falling to the darts sticking out of her stomach. She shot a surge of magic towards the hooded man, sending him blasting backwards into the opposite wall, and then everything went dark. 


	12. Naomi

**Naomi**

“Death magic?” Vahid asked sharply. “Someone used death magic to kill a Sentinel?” Naomi was too busy having flashes of zombie uprisings to add her own questions. 

“To steal their magic, yes,” Nia said solemnly. 

“For what purpose?” Naomi finally asked. She thought back to Hassan’s mention of what Matthew had been investigating and frowned. “Hassan said that Matthew was looking into strange deaths. What would a necromancer hope to accomplish by killing people?” 

“Originally, necromancers were simply diviners of the dead,” Nia explained. “They were the foremost practitioners among the people of Persia. But over time, they began to search for  _ more- _ more depth to their communing with the dead, more answers to questions they should never have asked, even attempts to bring a spirit back to this plane of existence."

“Spirits are at _ peace,” _ Vahid muttered. “Why drag one back and risk it’s wrath?” 

“Greed. Power,” Nia said. 

Naomi wondered at the High Sage’s assumptions- humans were more than just selfish and greedy power-seekers. She thought of her own dead loved ones and the lengths she would go to in order to bring them back, if she thought it either possible or morally right. 

“Love,” Naomi said. “They would do it for love.” 

Nia appeared politely skeptical, but Vahid turned to look at the spark with something unreadable in his eyes. “Yes,” he murmured. “That is plausible.” 

“Regardless of the reasons why,” Nia continued, “The fact that a Sentinel has been killed means that the necromancer likely succeeded.” 

Dread pooled in Naomi’s stomach. She adjusted her grip on Vahid’s hand, nervous. “What do you mean?” 

“Spirits are raised with a blood sacrifice. Something physical from our plane sacrificed for the spirit, something to tether it to the living world. An animal, perhaps, or occasionally a small amount of a magic user’s blood.” 

Nia showed them the runes on the scroll, a match to the ones Naomi had shown her. “But these symbols mean something entirely different. They are old, nearly as old as you and I, brother.” Vahid looked troubled. “And the intentions are not to raise a spirit, but to raise the dead.” 

“A zombie?” Naomi asked, dread lowering her voice to a groan. 

“A shade,” Nia corrected. “Necromancers are masters of death, but few are ignorant enough to do this. They summon the spirit of the deceased, using human sacrifices to keep it tethered to this plane for longer periods of time. With enough power, the spirit will obtain a physical form- thus becoming a shade.” 

“And how long would a sacrificed spark keep them here?” 

Nia shook her head, dreads swinging loose around her shoulders. “It is difficult to say. A few months, perhaps, maybe longer.” 

“So my friend was  _ sacrificed  _ in order for someone to raise the dead and keep their spirit tied to the living world.” Grief made her voice crack; Vahid seemed to radiate heat at her side. She leaned into the comforting warmth and ignored Nia’s curious gaze on them. 

Vahid looked to the other dragon. “Is it safe to assume that this necromancer will be looking for more Sentinels to keep their shade alive?” 

“That depends on what this individual is hoping to achieve.” Nia shrugged, a fluid movement that sent her robe rippling like water across her skin. “It is likely, if they have gone this far to raise the spirit, that they intend to keep them here.”

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Naomi asked. “You said the spirits often come back angry. Even if this one isn’t at first, would the shade not grow more dangerous the longer they’re held here?” 

“Yes. They will grow uncontrollable, prone to fits of rage. The shade will lash out, become violent against everyone- including the necromancer.” 

“How do we stop them?” 

“It must be you, نگهبان. Only a spark can stop this.” 

“What? Why?” Naomi looked pointedly at the dragon standing beside her. “Pretty sure Vahid could take care of this, too.” 

“No. This magic is volatile. It will latch onto him and drain him entirely if he is caught.” 

“And it won’t drain me?” She asked incredulously. “We’ve already got one murdered spark that would care to differ.” 

“You have more raw magic than any other being on this earth,” Nia said with alarming intensity.  _ “Nothing _ in this realm could hold you, or take what is yours.” 

“So, what, I can just overload the runes if I’m caught?” 

“If you know what to look for, yes.” Nia pointed to a small set of runes on the scroll. “These sigils here define the link between the stolen power and the shade. If you destroy these, it will sever the shade’s ties to their power.” 

“And without that power, the shade has no source of energy to remain on this plane,” Vahid concluded. 

Nia nodded. She turned to Naomi. “If you do not stop this necromancer, they will continue to kill both humans and sparks alike. This person will not give up, not until every spark is dead for the sake of their shade.” She handed Naomi the scroll. “You are permitted to read this here, but only if you swear upon your life to never reveal its contents to another, even at the cost of death.” 

Naomi swallowed but agreed. “I swear it.” Her chest felt tight, as if the promise burned into her. She accepted the scroll with caution, handling the parchment as if it were a newborn baby. 

Vahid straightened when Nia looked at him with a grave expression. “You are committed to helping this نگهبان?” 

“I am,” Vahid said calmly. 

“Then there are things you must know.” Nia flicked her eyes pointedly towards Naomi, but Vahid shook his head. 

“I understand the need for secrecy, sister, but I trust this نگهبان with my life.” Naomi looked at him with wide eyes, though he didn’t look at her. 

“Do you trust her with all of the lives of our kind?” Nia asked sharply. “With the secrets of an entire race?” 

“I do.” 

“Vahid,” Naomi said softly. 

Silver eyes met her own, burning bright with the fire within him. His grip on her hand remained strong. “I do,” he repeated firmly. 

“I see,” Nia said slowly, observing them with a thoughtful expression. Oddly, Vahid’s cheeks reddened at the High Sage’s interjection. Before Naomi could ask what  _ that  _ meant, exactly, Nia continued. “How special you must be to have earned the trust of a dragon.” She eyed Naomi with an assessing gaze. 

Naomi merely raised a brow in response to the judgement. “I would not be alive today if it weren’t for Vahid.” She kept her eyes on Nia, avoiding Vahid’s attention even as her cheeks warmed. “I owe him my life, yes, but he is my friend above all else.” 

“And you fight fiercely for those you love,” Nia said, seeming to stare right into Naomi’s soul. The spark stiffened at the High Sage’s statement but didn’t object. Vahid rubbed his thumb quietly along the bones in her wrist. “You are loyal, and strong.” The dragon cocked her head at Naomi and then smiled in approval. “You have brave friends, brother.” 

“The bravest,” Vahid murmured. Naomi squirmed, uncomfortable with the praise. 

Nia sobered. “You have learned by now that you are the last of us to walk the earth.” 

Vahid flinched as if he’d been struck, but said, “I have.” 

“You’re here, though,” Naomi pointed out. 

“Am I?” Nia asked, a humorless smile curving her full lips. “The ties of fate were tightening around us, Vahid. The consuls and the royal family agreed it was time to move on. This realm was growing uninhabitable for our kind, and we could not stay.” 

“I was not aware of the decision,” he said numbly. 

“You were with your human,” Nia told him. “And then you disappeared entirely days before the decision was made to leave. We searched for you. Your parents searched, as did the royals.” Vahid took a shaky breath. Naomi stepped into him, letting him lean on her. “But we ran out of time.” 

“I laid down in my lair,” Vahid said quietly. “And I did not wake again.” 

“Not until your Sentinel found you,” Nia agreed. “I believe the magic of this realm kept you in stasis for all that time. Deliberately, because you would be needed one day.” Naomi thought of the Leviathan clawing its way out of the Hellmouth and fervently agreed. “I have a gift, as you know, brother, one that gives me sight for such things.” 

“Insight to the threads of fate?” Naomi asked, awed. 

Nia smiled. “Occasionally, yes. I saw these threads as the dragons prepared to leave. It is why I remained behind.” 

“Then why didn’t Vahid feel you? He said that he could tell no other dragons were on earth.” 

“Because I am no longer a shifter.” Vahid’s grip went slack with shock. Naomi tightened her own so she didn’t end up blind again. “I am the Keeper of this city, and my own power went to guarding it. I will remain as such so long as there is still a dragon that walks the earth.” 

She smiled kindly at Vahid. “Many did not believe me when I spoke of this. But Princess Soraya left me with the secret knowledge to find them again, should my predictions come true. I will never leave this place- it is the sacrifice I made when the need arose. But I can tell you how to find our people again, if you wish to know.” 

“I do,” Vahid choked out. “But...” He glanced at Naomi. “But first, I must help my friend with her own quest. This necromancer cannot be left free.” 

“No, Vahid,” Naomi said immediately. “You don’t owe me anything.” She took a deep breath and told herself not to be selfish.  _ “Go, _ find out where your people went. I can handle this without you.” 

“You will never be able to return to Al Riyadmi,” Nia warned her. “There is a great deal of magic guarding the city. Without a dragon willingly bringing you through the gates, you will never find it again.” 

“Then it is decided,” Vahid said. Naomi shook her head, protesting, but he tugged gently on her hand. “I made a promise to you, نگهبان, that I would be by your side for this. I will not leave you in this fight alone.” 

Naomi tried not to let her relief show. She’d grown used to his company, had started to enjoy his sly humor and earnest appreciation of her. The desert was a lonely place, but not so with a dragon by her side. 

“Then you must deal with the necromancer first,” Nia said, interrupting Naomi from her thoughts. “And I will share the rest with you once you return. Be safe, and trust only each other in this.” 

Vahid bowed deeply. “Thank you, sister, for your help.” 

“Before we leave, will you teach me what these runes are?” Naomi asked, holding the scroll higher. “I like to know what I’m messing with when it comes to unfamiliar magic.” Nia nodded, so Naomi unthinkingly released Vahid’s hand to roll the scroll open. The library disappeared, leaving Naomi with only the sight of a barren desert around her. “Um.” 

Vahid chuckled somewhere to her left. His hand wrapped around her forearm and the world reappeared. “Thanks,” she told him sheepishly. 

“It is hardly a trial,” he replied smoothly. Naomi elbowed him in the side, huffing a laugh at the amused hum she got in return. 

Naomi and Nia went over the runes for an hour, Naomi taking notes as quickly as she could manage. Vahid kept a hand either on her shoulder or at her elbow, trying to stay out of the spark’s way. When finished, Nia bowed to the both of them with the promise of their return. 

Vahid led the way out of the library as Naomi carefully tucked her notes away into her bag. “You know,” she said quietly as the crossed through the dome again. Her voice drifted across the empty expanse despite her soft tone. “You don’t have to stay with me. I know how important it is to find your family again.” 

The dragon was silent almost until they reached the gates of the city. Finally, he told her, “I made a promise to you, Naomi. I do not take that lightly.” He paused just inside of the gates and turned to stare across the ruins of the ancient city. “And despite the desire to find my people again, I find that I am not quite ready to leave you behind.” 

Naomi turned to stare at him, surprised. Her heart thudded in her chest at the look in his eyes, which seemed to glow brighter in the fading light. “Vahid,” she said softly. He looked away when she hesitated. “I’m glad you didn’t leave,” she whispered finally. “And not just because I don’t want to do this alone.” 

His answering smile made something in her chest grow tight with affection and something else, something she didn’t want to look too closely at right now. Naomi glanced up at the sun sinking towards the dunes. “We should sleep tonight. We’ve had a long day.” 

Vahid looked around. “I would prefer to stay within the city for the night.” He studied the empty, shadowed ruins for a long moment. “But not too close.” 

“I understand.” And she did- camping in the deserted city of his kind would not bring about a peaceful night for either of them. Better to not twist the knife, anyway. 

They made camp just within the city limits. Vahid lit another fire for them as Naomi dug through their bag for food. She passed him bread and jerky, making a mental note that they would need to stop again soon. 

~*~

They woke with the sun the following morning. Naomi climbed her way out of the dragon curled around her. Vahid only grumbled at the disturbance and shifted his bulk to hide his eyes from the rising sun. Naomi smiled at the sight and stretched, working through a few yoga poses until the stiffness faded from her body. By the time she finished, Vahid was blinking sleepily at her in his human form. 

“I’ve come to realize,” Naomi said, teasing, “that dragons are basically giant cats.” 

Vahid sniffed at her haughtily, though his eyes were bright with humor. “I have no idea what you mean.” He climbed gracefully to his feet and stretched. “We should go. The necromancer could be anywhere by now.” 

Naomi gratefully accepted his hand when he offered it, so that the ancient City of Dragons swam back into her sights. Al Riyadmi was beautiful in the early morning sunlight- Naomi could almost see the city as it had been in all its glory. 

“I’m sorry you didn’t find what you were looking for,” Naomi said as they studied the peaceful ruins. 

“There is hope yet,” Vahid replied. “Nia has knowledge of the dragons’ whereabouts. When we return to Al Riyadmi one day, we will find them again.” Naomi chose not to comment on the ‘we.’ She  _ did  _ want to return, after all, even if it meant watching someone she cared about potentially leave her forever. 

“Ready?” Naomi asked after a few minutes of silence. Vahid sighed and nodded. Together, they turned and left the city behind. Through some unspoken agreement, they walked the first hour of the morning rather than fly. Naomi wondered whether Vahid wanted companionship in this form for a while, as a comfort for everything he’d just left behind. She noted that he did not release her hand, not even when the morning grew warm and their bodies slick with sweat. 

“Tell me about the royal family,” Naomi prompted after a few miles. “You said you grew up with them?” 

“My mother was a consul,” Vahid explained. “An advisor to the king and queen on managing interspecies relations. And my father was childhood friends with the queen- it is how they first met. The queen introduced them.” 

“So you were close, then? To the family?” 

“Very. The king and queen had five children. I was friends with them all, though closest with Princess Soraya and Prince Darius. We were closest in age, you see.” 

“What were they like?” 

“Darius was the eldest child. He believed he could protect everyone, and he loved his siblings above all else. Soraya, she was brilliant. One of the greatest minds in generations, and notoriously stubborn. They were both offspring of the king’s first marriage, the first queen. She died during an attack on the palace. The king remarried three hundred years later, after falling in love with a young woman who told him he had no artistic vision.” Naomi smiled at that. 

“They had three children- there were the twin princes, Kaveh and Rahim. Kaveh possessed an enthusiasm for life few could match, and Rahim spent most of his time reading or drawing. He was an artist, you see, like his mother.” Vahid’s smile had grown soft, nostalgic. “And the youngest, a surprise to the kingdom and royals alike, was Princess Esteri. She was the light of our kingdom, our little star.” 

“They sound wonderful.” 

“They were very much so. Our royals were nothing like the human monarchs I have seen and read about from your world. Perhaps it is the differences of our kind.” Vahid shrugged. “But King Sargon and Queen Rosana were fair and kind rulers who loved their people a great deal.” 

“The High Sage said they searched for you.” Naomi looked at him when his hand tightened on hers. “They didn’t want to leave you behind.” 

“I know.” His voice was thick, emotional. 

Naomi squeezed his hand in support. “You’ll see them again. I know you will.” 

“I wish you could meet them,” he said quietly. “They would love you.” 

“Because I’m a spark?” She asked, curious. Who knew how high an opinion dragons had of sparks- she only knew one, and had a feeling Vahid was not any ordinary dragon. 

“Because you are نگهبان,” he corrected. 

Naomi frowned at him. “Sentinel is just the title of a spark.” 

“No.” Vahid shook his head. “The title of Sentinel is  _ earned. _ All نگهبان are sparks, but not all sparks are نگهبان. You are everything a Sentinel should be, and dragons would honor you as such.” 

“I don’t see how I’m-” Naomi cut off abruptly and looked around. They were deep into the Dasht-e Kavir, Iran’s central desert. But they’d made more progress than she’d thought. Already, they were in the Rig-e Jenn, a vast area of sand dunes that were believed to possess evil spirits. True or not, Naomi knew enough to listen to the warning creeping up her spine. 

“نگهبان?” Vahid glanced over, saw the alarm written on her face. “Naomi, what is it?” 

“There’s something-” Naomi’s hand was ripped out of Vahid’s grip as she was thrown backwards. Her head snapped back painfully as she landed roughly in the hot sand. 

Vahid shouted in anger, whirling around to find the threat. But nothing was behind him. He looked up at the top of the dune beside them, squinting into the sun. Two shadowy figures stood atop the large dune, forms wavering in the aggressive heat. 

Naomi fought the pressure attempting to hold her to the ground. Her spark exploded outwards, giving her a few moments to breathe fully before the bruising force returned tenfold. She gritted her teeth and met it halfway, refusing to yield. 

Vahid roared behind her, but he was still in human form. Why hadn’t he shifted? She twisted against the suffocating winds holding her down and nearly lost her grip on her own magic. 

The dragon clutched at the obsidian blade buried halfway in his chest. He staggered, face drained of all color. Naomi screamed, doubling her efforts to reach him. 

“It’s dragon glass,” a smug female voice said somewhere above her. “He can’t touch it. But don’t you worry, spark, I’ll take good care of him.” 

Naomi looked up, snarling in defiance, and was met with a boot to the face. She felt her nose crack, felt blood spray over her face, and then the second kick knocked her unconscious. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly didn't mean to leave you on another cliffhanger... my bad, guys. The pace of Darcy and Naomi's stories ended up being pretty close. I'll update as quick as I can though :)


	13. Darcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is... not necessarily dark!Darcy, but definitely a Darcy who is a force to be reckoned with. She's a full Sentinel now- She's come a loooong way from the scared little kid, and I wanted to show how she's grown very, very dangerous.

**Darcy**

Darcy came around slowly, her head foggy. Nausea rose as she forced her eyes open, ears ringing. She’d been hit in the face, she realized. Multiple times, judging by the aching cheekbone and split lip. 

She took stock, fighting back the instinctive surge of fear when restraints held her in place. She was strapped to a chair, handcuffs clasped tight around her wrists and ankles. The room was cold and smelled like ashes and metal. 

“She’s up.” Another blow snapped her head to the side. Darcy gasped in surprise, feeling blood slide down the side of her face from a deep cut. She wrinkled her nose at the sensation but managed to focus on the speaker. 

Bright lights blocked her view of the gathered group; no faces were discernible past the blinding spotlights on her. “How original,” Darcy rasped. She felt groggy and disoriented, like the room was swimming in a dizzying circle around her. A blinking red light caught her attention and she squinted over at it. “Is that a  _ camera?” _

“Shut up,” someone barked. “You will do as we say or you’ll suffer for it.” 

Darcy resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. She sent them her best Natasha-esque unimpressed stare and waited for them to get on with it. Her head was clearing with every passing second, strength returning to her body. 

“We want to know where the weapon is.” 

“What?” Darcy asked, losing her neutral expression for one of complete bafflement. “What weapon?” 

“Don’t play coy,” he sneered. “You hit one of ours with something powerful enough to send him through a concrete wall. We want to know what kind of weapons Stark is making for his people.” 

“I don’t-” An open handed slap cut her off. Darcy snarled under her breath. “There is no weapon!” 

So, obviously her kidnappers were unaware of the supernatural. Which meant… she reached for her magic and nearly shouted in triumph when it rose like a flood in response. Darcy still had her magic- she was going to be just fine. 

The fear and uncertainty disappeared, replaced by a dark feeling of vindication to come. She turned back to look at the shadows cast by… she counted as best she could past the lights- six men. Bolstered by the power burning underneath her skin, Darcy spoke. “Why did you take me?” 

“You’re obviously important enough to Stark that he’ll pay a ransom,” a new voice responded. “A ransom like the supercharged weapon he apparently gave you.” 

“So, what, the camera is for dramatic effect?” She wondered. 

“The camera is so everyone can watch exactly what we’re going to do to you if he doesn’t comply.” The chilling answer was much less threatening than he’d intended. Darcy was the real threat here- they just didn’t know it yet. 

“That’s a live feed?” She asked, somewhat incredulous. “Are you stupid, or just incompetent?” Another blow, this time a vicious kick to her knee. She gritted her teeth against the shout of pain. 

“Stark doesn’t know as much as he thinks he does.” 

Her magic surged when she reached for it. “You are so fucked,” Darcy said with a laugh. 

“Because he’ll come for you?” Came the scornful reply. “We aren’t afraid of him.” 

Darcy bared her teeth in a bloody grin. “He’s not the one you should be afraid of.” With that, she shattered the cuffs with her magic and stood with dignified grace. A shield snapped into place over her, golden power covering her from head to toe in impenetrable armor. 

Shouts of alarm rose and rose, confusion and fear mingling. Gunshots echoed in the room. Darcy felt the bullets hit her shield, watched them fall as the Hydra agents began to panic. They’d locked themselves in a room with a lethal creature of magic, a weapon of war within her own right, and were fools enough to try and threaten her. 

Darcy opened her hands and let the magic off its leash. 

It swept through the room with explosive force, destroying the equipment as it burned through the Hydra agents clambering for escape. The room fell to darkness, lit only by the spark still lingering in the air. The smell of ozone hung in the air. 

She healed her wounds with a thought, leaving only bloodstains where cuts had been. Seconds later, there was a blast that shook the ground. Tony stepped through the giant hole he’d just blown in the wall, the suit gleaming in the strange light of her spark. 

The face plate snapped up to reveal his worried face. “Darcy? Are you okay?” He strode towards her, anxious. 

“I’m fine,” she assured him as she let her shields drop. “A little pissed off, but no injuries I couldn’t fix.” He touched her chin with surprising gentleness, studying her face closely. His scowl was like a thundercloud at the sight of the tacky blood on her face. 

“I’m building you a suit,” he said with finality. 

“You are not building me a suit,” Darcy argued, exasperated. She stepped away and let her magic snap back in place around her in a copy of his own, making the process a little dramatic to prove her point. “I’ve already got one, see?” She let it fall away when he only crossed his arms, unimpressed. 

Bucky swung into the room just then, armed to the teeth. “Darcy!” Tony let her go and stepped back just as Bucky swept her up into a hug that made her ribs creak. “Baby, are you okay?” He leaned back to touch her bloody lip with careful fingers. 

“Healed,” she told him. She looked between them. “You saw the video?” 

Tony frowned. “What video?” 

“What do you mean, what video?” She gestured towards the shattered remains of the camera along the far wall. “They had a camera up with a live feed running. I thought it was to you, for a ransom or something.” 

“It wasn’t sent to me.” Tony’s eyes drifted to the side, focused on something internal. “Jarvis, look into that.” 

“Who would they be videoing an interrogation for?” Darcy wondered. 

“Interrogation?” Bucky asked sharply. “What did they do to you?” 

Darcy shook her head. “Just knocked me around some, that’s all. I’ve had worse in training, I swear.” His expression said he was letting this go for now, but that they’d be revisiting this conversation later. 

She felt surprisingly okay with the events of the night, truth be told. The terror and helplessness had dissipated the instant her spark had answered her call- though she would likely have a collection of ‘what if’ nightmares for a little while. She’d take those over the alternative. 

Darcy looked around. “Where’s Nat?” 

“Kicking the shit out of the agents upstairs,” Tony said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “C’mon, kid, let’s get you out of here.” 

Bucky wound an arm around her waist to steady her over the rubble. She was still in her gown and heels from the gala, though blood now stained the beautiful dress. She made a face. 

“We can have it cleaned,” Tony told her as he helped her through the hole blasted in the wall. “I know a guy, he’s used to cleaning my expensive clothing after we fight with Nazis. I get a discount, actually, because of the Nazis.” 

“Yeah, because  _ you  _ need a discount,” Darcy muttered. 

“I put his kids through college just from all of my fancy events gone wrong, I’ll have you know,” Tony said primly. He seemed reluctant to let go of her, and settled for watching her closely as they neared the Quinjet on the roof of the building. 

Darcy heard a crash from behind them. “Just Steve,” Bucky murmured when she twisted around to check. “He followed Natalia.” 

Clint dropped down from seemingly empty space to join them. He cast a considering eye over her, lingering on her bloody face, and then stripped his jacket off to hand to her. Bucky appeared to be annoyed by this, reaching for his own. 

“You have  _ grenades  _ in your pockets, Barnes,” Clint said dryly. “Take it easy.”

“Those definitely don’t go with my outfit,” Darcy agreed. She slid the jacket over her shoulders as Clint laughed. 

Natasha appeared as Darcy walked up the ramp. “Status?” She asked, green eyes narrowed dangerously on the spark’s bloody cheek. 

“All good,” Darcy chirped. She was riding the lingering dregs of the adrenaline, and had the sudden urge to  _ do  _ something- run, fight, or... She eyed Bucky with consideration. 

Tony’s hand pressed gently on her forehead and then shoved her back. “No, you don’t, not in my jet.” Darcy swatted him away as Steve thundered up the ramp. 

Natasha still watched her carefully. Darcy held up her palm, let her magic form a tiny tornado that swirled across it. “They didn’t know what I am,” she told the assassin. “They couldn’t hold me.” She shared a dark smile with Natasha before the other woman joined Clint in the cockpit for liftoff.

Bucky reached out to touch the magic with curiosity. He smiled when she let it zoom up his wrist and along his forearm, a sparkling gold tornado swirling over his skin. “Cute,” he said. Darcy grinned at him and leaned forward when he did to brush his lips over hers. 

“Sir.” Jarvis’s voice interrupted the moment. Tony looked up from his tablet. “I believe the video stream was sent to Lukas Burke.” The team’s reaction was visceral. Tony’s knuckles were white with his grip on the tablet. Clint cursed loudly from the front when Natasha signed the news to him. 

“Who the hell is Lukas Burke?” Darcy asked, baffled. 

Steve was staring into empty space, the wheels spinning in his mind. At Darcy’s question, he looked over with concerned eyes. “He’s Alexander Pierce’s protege,” he explained. “Our intel says he’s taken over what’s left of Hydra.” Darcy thought back to the camera trained on her during the short period of captivity and felt like she needed a shower. 

“Does he know about the supernatural?” Bucky asked. He’d gently but insistently tugged her up against him at the mention of Pierce. Darcy leaned into him, sliding her hand into his with a reassuring squeeze. 

“Hard to say,” Tony said distractedly. 

“He probably does now,” Darcy said uneasily. “The camera was still on when I broke free.” And if Hydra’s new leader had witnessed the destructive power of her magic, they were all in trouble. 

“What if it was an attempt to draw Barnes out?” Clint asked, twisting around as Nat took over. 

Steve shook his head. “Even if it was, which I doubt, they’re going to shift their focus to Darcy now. And to looking for more people like her.” 

“She’s got their attention now. Hydra will try to use her and supernaturals to rebuild,” Tony said grimly. “As agents and weapons, willing or not.” His eyes flicked to Bucky, whose expression was alarmingly blank. 

“The good news is,” Steve said, sitting down on Bucky’s other side, “is that they aren’t what they were before. They’re scrambling now, reaching for anything to stay afloat.” 

“They aren’t gone yet, Cap,” Tony said. He sneered at the footage of a recent Neo-Nazi march Jarvis played on the screen. “People like that are everywhere, and you can be damn sure Hydra is actively recruiting.” 

“What about supes?” Clint asked. He crossed his arms. “Chances are, there would also be a few supes at a rally like this. What?” He asked when they all looked at him. “Statistically, it’s likely.” 

Darcy frowned. “Not to my knowledge, but I’ve been too busy to take a hard look at who was at the rally.” And to be honest, she hadn’t wanted to watch it at all. Steve and Bucky had been positively vibrating with their fury, an anger that she had in spades as well. With Sam and Jane added in, the tower had nearly burst apart with the force of their combined rage. 

Darcy around glanced at the group. “If any supernatural willingly joins Hydra, they’ll have me to answer to.” And they had better pray that Captain America got to them first, because she would leave no one alive. 

Her pack, Stiles and Naomi, her countless allies across the world, would all ensure that no supernatural had the opportunity to join a Nazi organization. The last thing those monsters needed was access to a virtual super soldier. 

Well. She glanced at Bucky, who was still silent.  _ Another  _ super soldier. 

She felt the Quinjet lower, signaling their arrival at the tower. “I’ll talk to Jane,” she decided. “She can get some of her Fae spies to start looking into it.” They were small and silent Fae, easily unnoticed by humans and supernaturals alike. They had done an exceptional job so far of reporting on the Seelie Queen to help Jane manage the rival queen’s attacks. 

“Where is Foster, anyway?” Tony asked. “She wasn’t in her lab this morning.” 

“Asgard,” Darcy reported. “Then the Fae realm. She wants more experience jumping from realm to realm from Asgard.” And they were stopping by Asgard first to collect Sif, who had agreed to accompany Thor and Jane to the Fae realm. Her assistance would go a long way to managing the skirmishes that still plagued Jane’s rule. 

Thor in particular was looking forward to it, because their first task was to tear down the previous Unseelie Queen’s castle. Jane had taken one look at its shadowed halls and bloodied floors and ordered it destroyed. 

Bucky’s phone buzzed incessantly, echoed by Steve’s and a low vibration signaling a text on Natasha and Clint’s phones as well. Darcy wondered where hers had gotten off to right as Bucky fished it out of his jacket. “It was in the alley,” he explained shortly. 

Darcy took one look at the hundred messages on her phone and yelped. “Nat! Turn the jet around!” Natasha peered back at her in confusion. Darcy waved her phone is the air, heart pounding. “Erica went into labor!” 

“Laura says to ‘get our beautiful asses to the apartment right now,’” Bucky read aloud from his own phone. “She already called Dr. Cho to be on standby.” 

“A baby?” Tony blanched. “How about you guys give me a call when it’s all over, huh? I’ll send over a gift or eight.” 

“Too late,” Clint said as the plane lifted off again. “You’re in this, Stark.” 

“It’s the pack’s first baby,” Darcy said sternly. “You will not skip this.” 

“She also said to send a picture of Steve’s ass in the suit?” Bucky said in an aside to her. Steve looked up from across the jet with a bewildered expression. 

Darcy rolled her eyes. “Yeah, she and Stiles run a blog dedicated to his butt on tumblr.” 

“They  _ what?” _ Steve asked loudly. 

“Don’t worry, Derek’s in it, too,” she assured him. Bucky’s shoulders were shaking in an attempt to stifle his laughter. 

“We’re here,” Natasha said from the cockpit. She landed the plane carefully atop the large apartment building, ensuring the camouflage was active. 

Bucky half-lifted Darcy off the ground when she stumbled in her heels and hauled her to the roof’s access door. Steve and Natasha trailed them closely, Clint dragging a protesting Tony along. 

“I’m terrible with kids, really terrible-” 

“Shut up, Stark, you’re a part of this whether you like it or not.” 

“Not, definitely not.” 

Bucky and Darcy burst through the door to Erica and Boyd’s apartment. It was crammed full with people, the pack milling around anxiously. Darcy could hear Erica snarling from the bedroom. 

“Darcy Lewis-Hale, get your ass in here!” Her friend growled at the sound of Darcy’s heartbeat. 

“That’s my cue,” Darcy said cheerfully. She was stopped by Peter before she reached the door. Her dad caught her chin in one hand and narrowed his eyes at her face. “Whoops,” she muttered, remembering the blood dried on her cheek. 

“Whoops indeed,” he said tightly.

_ “Darcy!”  _

“We’ll discuss that later,” Peter told her severely. Darcy pressed a kiss to his own unmarred cheek and hurried into the room even as he searched for Bucky for an explanation. 

~*~ 

Darcy had tears in her eyes. Her heart had never felt so full, or the world so bright. 

Isobel Sophia Boyd sniffled in her arms, stretching tiny fingers against Darcy’s hand. Boyd had his forehead pressed against Erica’s, both of them with tears on their faces. 

The newborn made a soft grunt, kicking her feet. “Look at you go,” Darcy cooed. “You tiny, perfect little angel.” Isobel’s skin was a little lighter than her father’s, though a tiny patch of blonde hair was hidden underneath a hat that was the same shade as Erica’s own mass of curls. 

“Darce,” Erica said tiredly. Darcy looked up, reaching for her friend’s hand again. She’d had to shield it earlier, when Erica squeezed it hard enough to break bones. This time her friend’s grip was gentle, her smile grateful. 

Darcy handed Isobel off to Boyd when he reached for her, the baby laughably small against his huge frame. He traced her cheek with careful fingers, staring at his daughter in awe. 

“Darcy, we wanted to ask if you would be her godmother.” Erica rolled her eyes when Darcy’s jaw dropped in shock. “Don’t be an idiot, Darce, of course it was going to be you.” 

Boyd chuckled quietly. “Hear that, Izzie? Your godmother is an idiot.” 

“I hate you,” Darcy whispered. 

“Lie,” Boyd said smugly. 

She couldn’t help but beam back at him. “Lie,” she agreed. She leaned down to wrap Erica in a suffocating hug. “Of course I will. I’d be honored.” 

“We’re asking Derek to be the godfather,” Boyd told her. “If anything ever happens to us, we know the pack will take care of her, of course.” 

“But between you and Bucky and Derek and Stiles, we figured you guys could handle the direct responsibility,” Erica finished for him. She smiled down at her daughter when Boyd placed her in the she-wolf's arms. “Besides, she deserves to have some stability.” 

Boyd pressed a kiss to Erica’s hair and stood. He grinned at Darcy. “Let’s introduce her to the pack.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A baby!!! (*Insert Wonder Woman gif here*)
> 
> Final chapter count is only an estimate... we all know I tend to get carried away.
> 
> [[It was pointed out that I should probably reclarify: remember how there were no specific references to the supernatural in the SHIELD/Hydra file release? That's because they didn't know... Gerard basically joined up with a small faction of Hydra agents overseas and shared the supernatural secret with them. The organization as a whole did not know about the supernatural... until certain hunters join them and/or Hydra agents figured it out. But now Pierce's protege knows thanks to the video, so things are about to get interesting.]] Thanks ellie!


	14. Naomi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little shorter, so I'll probably update Wednesday instead of Thurs. this week. Hope you guys are having a good Monday!

**Naomi**

Naomi woke slowly, in degrees of consciousness. She felt the pain before anything else, from her broken nose first and her skin second. She groaned past a throat as dry as the desert around her and nearly cried when her nose throbbed in response. 

Her magic surged at the first call, though it faltered when she did. She took a deep breath and reached up with careful fingers to trace the break. With one last inhale, Naomi snapped the bridge of her nose back to the center of her face. 

She screamed past gritted teeth at the wave of pain. The world went dark again. 

She woke again just as the sun began to dip from the sky, taking the insufferable heat with it. Naomi spent what felt like hours but was probably minutes funneling her spark through a healing rune on her thigh and gasped weakly in relief when her nose healed. She still had blood on her face from where it had leaked all over her, but it wasn’t a throbbing ache anymore. 

She was finally able to open her eyes with the swelling gone. 

Gradually, carefully, Naomi dragged herself to her knees, then to her feet. She swayed for a moment, wincing at the pull of her skin from hours under the sun. Another healing rune activated at her will, relieving the pain like a blessed trickle of water over her skin. That done, she looked around. 

She was alone but for the sands swallowing the sun and the chill creeping in as the moon climbed higher into the sky. Stars blinked into sight overhead within a blanket of darkness. 

Alone. Vahid was gone, taken by what she now realized must have been the necromancer. Hours later, her mind catalogued the distinctive details from the attack- the horrible strength of the power, the female voice, Vahid’s pale face. The power had been from the shade, she knew, because there had still been traces of what the magic had been in the onslaught. 

She’d felt the remaining traces of Matthew in that power, caught within the shade when the raised spirit appropriated his spark. A shade that now had Vahid in its clutches, with a necromancer capable of extraordinarily dark magic. 

Panic hammered through her veins. She battered it ruthlessly back down and took stock of her situation. 

She was entirely stranded, Naomi realized with dread. Even if she managed to find her way back to Al Riyadmi, she would never be able to enter without Vahid there to bring her inside the gates. 

She didn’t know enough, Naomi thought with a frustrated scowl. She didn’t know enough about the necromancer, or where they would take Vahid, and she definitely didn’t know whether dragon glass was fatal, much less what it even was. She could make an educated guess, sure, but that wasn’t good enough. Not when Vahid’s life was on the line. 

The first step, she decided before the panic could return, was to collect the remaining supplies. The shade’s attack had scattered their bags between the dunes, so she quickly gathered what remained. 

Enough food for a few days, if she was careful with it. Strict rations could extend it to nearly a week. Her bag of clothes had been tossed aside and she scrambled for it. A quick, desperate search revealed the glass hawk wrapped within her extra headscarf. She released a breath, relieved, and wrapped the material around her head. The hawk went into her pocket with a small rune to protect it. 

It was all she had left of her friend and mentor, after all. 

“Stay close, Matt,” Naomi murmured. She repacked a one bag, wincing at the weight of their water bottles, and started walking east, following the direction of faint tracks in the sand. And, well, if she talked to her dead friend as she walked through the night, it wasn’t like anyone was around to hear. 

“I’m sure you’re not terribly surprised to see the mess I’ve found myself in this time.” It was probably smarter to not talk, to not waste energy or dry out her mouth, but Naomi felt as if the emptiness stretching for miles in every direction would suffocate her. “You always were amazed that I could find trouble no matter where we were.” 

She walked another mile or so before continuing. “I’m sorry, Matt. I let my grief take over when Alec died. I know that losing your family did much of the same to you- I never really understood how someone could disappear entirely until I wanted to do the same.” She sighed. “They didn’t deserve that, and I’m starting to believe that we didn’t, either.” 

Because she’d certainly been punishing herself for years for Alec’s death, for her own mistakes and arrogance that had resulted in her husband’s death. “You’d have liked him,” she murmured. “And he would have liked you as well.” Matthew’s family had died only a year before Alec, and her mentor had disappeared afterwards. She’d been too caught up in her own warnings- the vision of Alec’s death- to put serious effort into finding him. 

“But I got your letter all those years ago,” she said quietly. “And I actually had it in me to write you back.” Even if it had been months later. But Matthew hadn’t judged her, had always given her the kindness and respect even before they knew each other well. “And now I’ve failed you again.” Her friend had died slowly, painfully, and alone. 

She walked until the brightness of the night sky started to lose its depth of color, bleeding red and gold that signaled the start of a new day. Naomi glanced down and felt her heart squeeze in fear. The tracks were almost unnoticeable by now, barely an imprint left for her to follow. 

Vahid’s life hung in the balance, resting entirely on her shoulders. Naomi had a sickening few moments of imagining the necromancer stealing his magic and life out of that deceptively slender frame, of his silver eyes turning dull and body going limp. 

Furious, helpless, she broke. “I’m so tired of losing everyone!” She screamed to the sky. “You’ve taken nearly everyone that matters to me, and for what? Punishment? Some sort of sick cosmic joke?” She didn’t know who, exactly, she screamed at, but it lessened the terror mounting in her chest. 

She’d been helpless before, of course. When Alec died, when her vision first came, all those years looking into a mirror and seeing the wrong body glaring back at her. 

“I don’t know what to do,” she finally admitted at a whisper. The stars stared back at her impassively. Naomi lifted her hands and dropped them again, defeated. “I don’t know how to find him, or catch up to- ouch!” 

Swearing, the spark hopped back, away from the hard surface she’d just stubbed her toe on. “Son of a bitch,” she hissed. Her toe throbbed. 

Carefully, Naomi used her magic to brush away the sand covering the mysterious object. “Huh.” She crouched to run her fingers over the flat sheet of metal- something from a wagon, or the bed of a truck, maybe. It was surprisingly sturdy, thick enough to not bend but still lightweight enough for her to lift. 

Naomi frowned at it in thought. She remembered her mother’s patient lessons on how to sail, on finding the winds and using them to ride the currents. “Dunes and waves, close enough, right?” She mused. With a suspicious glance at the sky above, Naomi muttered a quiet, “thank you.” She knew better than to be ungrateful towards whatever luck or world magic led her to this. 

Her magic reached for the metal when she did, settling helpfully over it. Naomi cautiously tested the metal, pressing harder until it curved just enough to slide easily over the sand. With hope rising in her chest, she stepped inside of it and tested the balance. 

“Okay,” she said to herself. “A little wobbly, but we can fix that.” Bolstered by the small success, she used her magic to create a small column in the center and let small but solid threads wind through the blanket she tugged out of her pack. She sliced it down the middle with a knife from her bag and reattached the pieces to her makeshift mast. 

“Leave it to Aaliyah's daughter to create a  _ boat  _ in the middle of a desert,” Naomi sighed, but she pushed her shabby little boat forward. It slid easily over the sand as the blanket attempted to catch the weak early morning breeze. “My mother will be so proud.” Appalled was more likely, but the thought of her mother brought Naomi great comfort. 

The transportation settled, Naomi stood beside her tiny boat to think. “They can’t have made it far,” she muttered to herself. “Even with a shade, an injured dragon is a hard thing to transport.” She squinted down at the sand, which was now a mess thanks to her thorough rigging of the boat. Naomi’s hand brushed the glass hawk in her pocket, and suddenly she was thinking back to the Hellmouth, of the trek across a battlefield towards a portal to Hell. 

The bird on her back stirred to life. Naomi sucked in a surprised breath at the feeling of wings brushing against her shoulders, like the bird was trying to pull away from her skin once again. Inspiration struck. 

“Go,” Naomi commanded. She shivered when the bird’s head moved slightly at the base of her neck. “Find Vahid.  _ Please.” _

It felt somewhat like peeling a piece of chewing gum off of her skin. She felt the same insistent, sticky pull from the base of her neck to just below the waistband of her thin pants, the entirety of the tattoo. It drifted through her shirt and into the air, no longer a hawk, but a phoenix. 

Her heart oddly full at the sight of the bird, Naomi watched as it flew higher and higher before angling to the left. She checked the stars against her location and shrugged. “North it is.” 

Through careful trial-and-error, Naomi managed a system that didn’t put too much strain on her magic. Simple tunnels of her spark channeled the distant breezes into the makeshift sails, sending her boat skidding across the sands. Steering was nearly impossible, but she could remain on track with the placement of the winds in the sails. 

As she slid across the desert sands, Naomi swallowed back that familiar fear. She couldn’t help but remember that day by the river, when she had been too far, too slow to save Alec. She had a feeling that if she didn’t make it to Vahid in time, she would never forgive herself. Not a second time, not after failing the last dragon on earth- and more importantly, her friend. 

She was tired, concentrating hard on her tasks. She slipped up once or twice, sending the little boat tipping to the side and spilling her roughly onto the ground. Naomi never stayed down long, just climbed back to her feet and collected her scattered belongings before starting back up again. 

Once or twice, the phoenix sailed down to fly beside her, burning such a beautiful red and gold that she lost focus again and nearly flattened herself on a group of rocks before she could tear her eyes away from the bird. 

The heat of the sun soon became insufferable. Naomi stopped by a large dune, so tall she didn’t think she could climb it even if she had any desire to do so. Instead, she used her spark to dig into the base of the dune, providing her a small enough space to tuck her body into. She pulled the blanket down for her head and rested the sheet metal over the opening. 

Safely cocooned and concealed, Naomi let herself catch a few hours of rest. She slept terribly, plagued by nightmares and constant worry that Vahid was being tortured or killed as she slept. But she would be no use to him otherwise, she told herself sternly. Especially if she caught up to them too exhausted to fight the shade off. 

When she set her boat back up, Naomi spent the time studying her notes on the runes. She wanted to be fully prepared for the upcoming confrontation. 

The late afternoon waned to evening, and evening to night again. Naomi grew anxious about the passing of time, as well as the passing of her water supply. She was running low on water, but knew better than to dehydrate herself by rationing it too strictly. 

Her boat rattled along the sands as darkness fell. Naomi glanced up when the phoenix doubled back towards her, soaring through the air with urgency. Her heart beat double time. 

She peered through the dark, cursing to herself for not having a better plan. But even this far away, she could feel Vahid somewhere ahead. No one could hide the presence of a dragon if the dragon did not wish it so, which gave her hope- it meant that the necromancer hadn’t killed him yet, and Vahid was still strong enough that she could feel his magic. 

Naomi unwrapped her headscarf and let the mast of her spark dissolve from the makeshift boat. The blanket fell to the metal as she stepped off of it, anger rising. The sheer gall of this dark magician had her near fuming by the time she’d dragged her knife out of the bag and kicked the metal piece over. She warded the upside-down curve of the boat to hide it and her bags from plain sight. 

With one last look at the bird burning reassuringly beside her, Naomi created a shield of magic to settle over her skin like armor. She gripped her knife tightly and began her slow, careful approach through the dark towards the necromancer’s camp. 


	15. Darcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update because I finally mapped out the rest of the chapters and have enough outlined that I'll be able to write them in no time. Next update will be sometime between Thursday and Sunday.. I'll post again once I've finished another chapter or two!

**Darcy**

Darcy smiled from the doorway of the bedroom. Bucky murmured quietly to Isobel, who gave him a toothless grin. The 2-week old baby kicked her feet excitedly and clutched one of Bucky’s fingers tightly in her tiny hand. 

Bucky shifted on the bed, leaning over to adjust Isobel’s cocoon of pillows. She made that distinctive baby noise of unfiltered happiness, grabbing his loose hair in her other hand. 

“Ouch,” Bucky told her. “You have one hell- heck of a grip, don’t ya?” He gently tugged his hair free. 

“Just like her mom,” Darcy laughed. Isobel’s eyes widened at the sound of the spark’s voice and she started kicking her feet in excitement again. “Hello, my perfect little angel,” Darcy cooed. She swooped in and wiggled her fingers for Isobel to grasp. 

“She loves you,” Bucky said with a soft smile. “She doesn’t get this excited for anyone else but you an’ her parents.” 

“That’s because she’s a smart little baby,” Darcy shared. She pressed a kiss to Isobel’s forehead. “Anyway, she loves Derek and Stiles, too. Derek’s great with her, and Stiles can get her to sleep like no one else.” 

“Is it a spark thing?” Bucky wondered. He placed his palm over Isobel’s body when she squirmed, his hand nearly covering the entirety of her body. She settled down again and shoved a little fist into her mouth. “She sleeps for you and Stiles the best. Maybe she feels safer with you two.” 

“Who knows.” Darcy shrugged. “Baby does what baby wants. Including waking your mom and dad up every single hour, isn’t that right?” Isobel continued to mouth at her fist, content as Darcy cooed at her. 

“They’re sleepin’?” 

Darcy nodded. “Finally. Boyd pretty much passed out as soon as I took Izzie from him. I don’t understand how people do this without a whole pack helping them.” She glanced at Bucky. “I was going to make a stir fry for lunch. That okay with you?” 

“Yeah, sounds good, doll.” He leaned over and scooped Isobel up to cradle her in the crook of his arm. She clutched the soft baby blanket he settled over her and immediately crammed the corner of it into her mouth. “We’ll keep you company.” 

Bucky propped a hip against the counter in the kitchen as Darcy cooked, grinning down at Isobel’s excited noises while she watched Darcy move around the room. Darcy sent a handful of her spark flying through the air, settling like stars around the baby's head. She dropped the blanket to stare at them in fascination. 

“Her bottle’s in the fridge,” Darcy told him when the food was done. She set two bowls on the island while Bucky heated Isobel’s lunch. 

While they waited for it to finish warming up, Darcy found herself rubbing absently at her wrist, remembering the tight hold of the cuffs. The past couple weeks had flown by, with the baby and the potential for Hydra targeting the supernatural, but she still woke some nights feeling trapped, like she was tied up and feeling helpless again. 

A soft touch on the small of her back startled her. “You okay?” Bucky asked carefully. 

“Hmm? Oh.” She dropped her hands. “Yeah, I’m fine.” 

Bucky frowned and opened his mouth, but the microwave beeped and Isobel made a grumpy noise when he didn’t immediately go get it. Darcy made grabby hands for the baby. “So impatient,” she told her goddaughter with a nuzzle. 

Darcy propped her feet up on Bucky’s barstool and rested Isobel on the slope of her thighs. She held the bottle for the baby and ate her stir fry one-handed while Bucky watched them with an unreadable expression on his face. 

“You ever think about this?” He asked a few minutes later. He didn’t look at her when he spoke, but kept his eyes on his bowl. 

“Sometimes,” Darcy admitted. “Ever since she was born, anyway.” She adjusted the bottle for Isobel, smiling when the baby reached up to cling to her hand. “I would worry, I think. Maybe too much.”

“About what? Keeping them safe?” 

“Yeah. After everything with my own mom, being hunted the way we were... I would never want to bring a child into that.” She tipped a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug. “Then again, between the pack, Jane, and the Avengers, I might just have the safest baby in the universe.” 

Bucky snorted a laugh. She continued. “But I’m so busy that it’d be hard to have a kid in the middle of it. With all the missions and traveling and whatever. I’m a spark- I couldn’t stay home forever, not with my responsibilities.” 

“I could,” Bucky said quietly. Darcy looked up, surprised. He watched Isobel as he spoke. “If we had a kid, I could stay with them.” 

“Yeah?” She asked softly. He looked at her, then, and then ducked his head at the adoring expression on her face. “Maybe that’s something we could talk more about, one day.” 

“Maybe it is.” He grinned down at his bowl, and they finished their lunch with a happy, noisy baby between them.

~*~ 

Later that day, Darcy and Bucky followed Stiles and Derek into the SD briefing room. Darcy twisted slightly to continue her discussion with Allison behind them, Bucky tugging her through the doorway when she almost walked into the wall. 

Steve and Maria stood at the front of the room, hovering over a tablet with matching frowns. Cora was reclined, dozing, in a chair at the back of the room, ignoring Peter and Chris beside her. 

Laura caught Darcy in a one-armed hug as she passed, but didn’t turn away from her discussion with Santiago. Darcy shared a baffled look with Bucky at the topic of their conversation- possibly about poetry, but based off of Laura’s interjections and the fire-engine red blush from Santiago maybe also something about sex toys?- and settled at the front table. 

Allison joined them, spinning her chair around backwards and leaning across Bucky to say, “I almost forgot- Lydia is with Jane in the Fae realm right now. She told me to let you know.” 

“Thank god,” Darcy sighed. “Jane’s been ready to pull her hair out with frustration.” 

“Why?” Derek asked from the table beside them. 

Darcy grimaced. “The Seelie Queen is pissed as fuck about her daughter taking over. She’s been trying for weeks to unseat Jane.” 

“In a direct fight?” Stiles asked, interested. “After Jane straight up decimated the previous Unseelie Queen?” 

Darcy shook her head. “No, it’s more like guerrilla warfare. She sends her minions in to cause chaos and attack the Unseelie Court inhabitants. But Jane’s worried they’re gearing up for something worse.” 

“She doesn’t need to go alone anymore, then,” Laura interrupted. “No more solitary trips to the realm for her.” 

“Jane doesn’t want a Queen’s Guard,” Cora reminded them without opening her eyes. “She’s going to pitch an unholy fit.” 

“She’s welcome to yell all she wants,” Laura said calmly. “As long as it means she’s alive to do so.” 

“Please let me know when you plan to have this discussion with her,” Chris sighed. “So I can make sure I’m far away.” Peter laughed. 

“Alright everyone,” Steve said. “We’ve worked out the details for the special task unit.” He gestured to the room. “You’ve all agreed to help stop Hydra’s plan to conscript supernaturals.” 

“They’re in for a rude fucking awakening,” Laura murmured. The werewolves in the room bristled in agreement with their Alpha’s dangerous tone. She didn’t seem to notice the admiring glance Santiago shot her way. 

“Clint and Natasha are out, gathering intel and working their contacts,” Maria told them. “We’re going to do the same.” She nodded towards Allison. 

Allison cocked her head in thought. “I can start reaching out to the other hunters,” she suggested. “Weed out any Hydra supporters, warn the others what to look for.” 

“You’ll need a hand with that,” Chris told his daughter. Allison nodded in agreement. “Peter and I will help.” 

“So will I,” Cora added. Chris appeared somewhat surprised by the offer. Cora shrugged. “She’ll need someone to watch her back. Besides, I’ve worked with more hunters than any other ‘wolf in the pack.” 

“I want her at my back,” Allison said. “Lydia will be too busy to travel with me.” 

“Done,” Maria said, making a note on her tablet. “Keep us updated- I'll need reports on every group so we can assess their loyalties.” Allison nodded in agreement. 

“Danny is already on comms,” Steve told the room. “He’s working with Widow and Hawkeye right now, but will be available for the rest of the team as well. We’re assigning one of the backup communications agents to the normal missions for the time being.” 

“We’re pairing off the rest of you- Darcy and Bucky, Stiles and Derek, Laura and Santiago. You’ll be our ground teams. Any reports of Hydra interest in supes and one of you will be dispatched to assess the situation.” She looked at Stiles. “You will be kept close to the chest for now. We’re going to assume that Hydra already knows some of Darcy’s capabilities, but if we can keep you under the radar for now we will.” 

Stiles and Darcy shared a glance. “We want to mark everyone in the unit with a tracking rune,” Darcy said. “Just in case someone is taken.” 

“Again,” Derek muttered pointedly in Darcy's direction. Stiles helpfully kicked him for her. 

“Better than an electronic implant, that’s for sure,” Maria agreed. “Do it after the briefing.” 

They went over the knowns and unknowns of the situation, Maria charting the Hydra agents she was certain were still active. “Or at least suspected,” she added. “Which is basically everyone outside of SD, at this point.” 

“It’s not paranoia if they’re really out to get you,” Stiles said solemnly. Santiago huffed a laugh. 

“”We’re done for the day,” Maria told them an hour later. “You’re all off active duty with SD. The special task force takes precedence over supernatural street squabbles.” 

“Sure it does, until you’ve got a ghoul climbing through your window in the middle of the night,” Stiles complained as they filed out of the room. 

Darcy laughed. “They’re warded now, Stiles. It’ll be fine for a couple weeks.” 

“At worst, we can tell Julian to step up his involvement,” Laura said. “Imani and Kira can handle most of it, as long as they’ve got a hitter for the bad shit.” 

“I think Kira counts,” Allison reminded them. “She took down that whole gang of redcaps by herself last week.”

"Imani buried that troll in Central Park, too," Stiles said with a fond expression for the young druid.

“Sam’s agreed to give them a hand for now,” Steve told the group. “When he’s not needed for this.” 

“Oh, good.” Darcy felt better knowing the Falcon would be available as backup. “They’ll all definitely be fine, then.”

"Our streets are safe," Stiles said dramatically. Derek rolled his eyes from behind the spark.

“Buck, wanna head to the gym?” Steve asked.

Bucky nodded. “Yeah, Darce an’ I missed our morning workout.” 

“No, we didn’t,” Darcy said smugly. Bucky smirked back at her. He kissed her once and then jogged after Steve. 

Derek and Santiago separated from the group as well. Laura eyed them suspiciously. “Where are you two going?” 

“Somewhere with some peace and quiet,” Derek told her. “Which means you’re  _ definitely  _ not invited.” 

“Is that any way to talk to your Alpha, baby brother?” Derek quickly stepped out of her reach and then down the hall when she followed him with a dangerous smile. Santiago trailed after them, laughing. 

_ “We _ are going to visit with Isobel,” Peter told Darcy. He pressed a kiss to her hair and left with Chris. Allison and Cora left as well, already comparing notes on the hunting families they’d worked with in the past. 

Stiles and Darcy blinked at each other in the now-empty hallway. “We’ve been ditched,” he said indignantly. 

Darcy glanced at her watch. “Well, it’s almost dinner time.” She thought for a moment. “I think Pepper is out of town, which means Tony will have barricaded himself in his lab.” 

“Let’s go drag him out and make him buy us dinner,” Stiles suggested cheerfully. Darcy led the way to the elevator that would take them up two floors to Tony’s lab. The main one opened as they waited, revealing Imani dressed to the nines. 

Darcy whistled, long and low. “And where are  _ you  _ going?” She admired the other woman’s outfit. 

Imani grinned at them.  _ “I _ have a date,” she said imperiously, and then dropped the tone to unceremoniously wave a small container through the air. “But Malik hasn’t eaten dinner yet, so I have to make sure he remembers or he’ll be buried in his plants all night again.” 

“Did you just come from the apartment?” Stiles asked. Imani and Malik had moved into a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor of the pack’s apartment building in Iron Heights, though Malik spent most of his time in his state-of-the-art lab in the tower. 

Imani nodded. “Yeah, I stopped in to see Baby Boyd before I left. She likes to watch me grow flowers for her, even though Malik’s way better at it than me.” She wiggled her fingers at them and stalked down the hall towards her twin’s lab. “See you guys later!” 

Stiles and Darcy boarded the restricted access elevator. “Derek says we won’t know if Isobel is a ‘wolf until she’s older, around a year or so.” 

“Apparently they can’t shift until then,” Darcy said with a nod. “He told me a few things after Izzie was born. Since Erica and Boyd were both bitten, there’s less of a chance of her being born a werewolf.” 

“But still likely.” Stiles shook his head. “How in the hell are we going to keep up with a baby werewolf? She already has all of us wrapped around her tiny little fingers.” 

“I’m okay with that.” They exited the elevator when the doors slid soundlessly open. 

Stiles grinned as he followed Darcy down the hall. “Me too.” 

Darcy paused at the doors to the lab. “Hey, J, is he working on anything explosive at the moment? Last time I came in unannounced he almost blew us both up.” 

“No, Miss Lewis, he is currently searching for his bottle of whiskey.” 

“The one he bought last week?” Darcy asked with a snort. “Yeah, Pepper and I drank that.” She saw Stiles shake his head at her. “What? I went to the lab to see him and Pepper was already down there doing paperwork. I stayed so we could bitch about it for a while.” 

The doors slid open to reveal Tony’s scowling face. “And when, exactly, did you two have time to drink it without me noticing?” 

Darcy shrugged and ducked underneath the arm he braced on the doorframe. “When you wandered off mumbling about nanotech,” she said, using her shoulder to bump him between the shoulder blades and push him out of the lab. “C’mon, we’re going to get dinner.” 

“We? No, I’m busy, I have-” 

“Nothing that requires your immediate attention, sir,” Jarvis cut in. Darcy and Stiles cheered. 

“Traitor,” Tony grumbled, but allowed himself to be moved along. 

“Go change, you smell like a grease fire,” Darcy told him. “Jarvis will be watching to make sure you don’t try to sneak away, won’t you, J?”

“I certainly will.” 

Tony huffed. “My own damn kids ganging up on me, I didn’t sign up for this,” he muttered under his breath.  

“Yeah, yeah, quit your griping.” Darcy shooed him towards the staircase to his penthouse. “So cranky,” she said fondly as he stomped up the stairs. 

Happy drove them to one of Julian’s restaurants that the pack favored. It was high end, so they were certainly underdressed, but the hostess brightened at the sight of Darcy and Stiles anyway. 

“Hey Mags,” Stiles greeted. “How’ve you been?” 

“I’m good,” she said, ignoring Tony completely in favor of the sparks. He seemed baffled by this but somewhat amused by the wide-eyed stares the other two were receiving from other patrons. “Thanks again for babysitting the other day- Travis hasn’t stopped talking about Derek since.” 

“Literally anytime,” Stiles told her earnestly. 

“Baby fever,” Darcy explained. “The whole pack has it.” 

Mags laughed. “Understandable. Well, I’ll leave you guys to it.” She left, hair glinting an odd green under the restaurant lights to suggest at her water nymph bloodline. 

“You two are quite the celebrities,” Tony teased. 

“Not used to being ignored?” Stiles asked with a laugh. “Most supes are too fascinated with us to look elsewhere.” 

“Though the rumors are adding to our already confusing reputation,” Darcy sighed. “We’ll take what we can get, I guess.” 

Stiles leaned forward, elbows on the table to stare at Tony. “I need to know one thing, Stark.” 

“Uh huh.” Tony looked appropriately wary. 

“Are you the one who made our butts blog go viral?” 

Darcy rolled her eyes. She knew the answer- Tony had looked it up the day after she’d informed the Avengers and nearly laughed himself sick at the collection and snarky captions. 

“Of course not,” Tony said smoothly. “I have nothing to do with that at all.” 

“You’re a shit liar.” 

Darcy shook her head and listened to the devolving argument with resigned acceptance. 

~*~ 

Two days later, Danny breezed into the briefing room, nose buried in his tablet. “Problem,” he muttered to Maria, who turned to squint down at his screen. “I’ll put it up,” he told her. 

The room quieted, turning their attention to the projected report on the giant holo screen behind Maria and Steve. “This is from the Widow, sent thirty minutes ago,” she told them. Darcy leaned forward to see better. 

“Hydra caught a werewolf?” She asked, alarmed. 

“It appears so,” Maria said unhappily. “One of their agents saw him shift during a minor scuffle with the neighboring territory. And they’ve tracked him back to his pack.” 

“Which pack?” Stiles asked, straightening in his seat and yanking his phone out of his pocket. The languid lines of his body sharpened, like he was bracing himself. 

“The Walkers,” Danny said grimly. “Small pack from Michigan, composed of just their family.” 

“That’s what, five ‘wolves?” Allison asked. “I met the Alpha once when I was passing through.”

“Four adults and a child.” Danny shook his head, worry lines engraved across his forehead. “Noah, a four year old werewolf.” 

Stiles swore. Derek looked frozen in place beside him. Darcy felt the same panic, but said, “We have to get to them before Hydra does. If they get ahold of a child...” 

“They will do horrible things,” Bucky said at her side. “Experiments, training him, brainwashing.” Steve took a step towards Bucky, shoulders tight. 

“We won’t let that happen,” Darcy told him softly. 

“You’re damn right we won’t,” Maria said. She looked at the assembled group, eyes hard. “Suit up.” 


	16. Naomi

**Naomi**

Naomi crept through the dark towards the thrum of Vahid’s magic. It settled like a pulse in her ribcage, pounding like a dual heartbeat within her chest. 

A warning zipped up her spine before she could go any further. She paused at the edge of the camp, eyeing barely noticeable wards etched into the sands. After a moment of consideration, Naomi knew she could break the wards- but the necromancer would certainly feel the magic break. 

Preparing herself for a fight, Naomi glanced at the phoenix burning at her side. The bird was a creature of pure magic, a manifestation of her spark that had woken her animal tattoo with a vengeance. She felt reassurance settle over her at the sight of it drifting alongside her on an invisible wind. 

“When the wards break,” Naomi instructed in the lowest voice she could manage, “get to Vahid and guard him.” A brief flash of gold shimmered over the bird and Naomi knew her command would be followed. 

She thought then of her friend, injured and held hostage within the camp, and felt that familiar rage rise again. She reached for the wards with her magic, mouth set into a grim line at the tainted power holding them. 

As she shattered the wards, Naomi wondered if the sun was rising early before realizing- no. No, it was _ her. _ The sky brightened, glowed, and seemed to light gold with the force of her fury. Raw magic rose around her like steam through the air. The world was tinted gold, the depth of her magic drawing the tension so tight that it felt as though the air itself was holding its breath. 

Naomi gathered that tension as a dark shape scrambled to its feet a few yards away. The phoenix launched itself across the space of the camp and blew through the second set of wards guarding the dragon to circle him closely. 

A harsh laugh broke the silence. “I’m impressed,” that same female voice drawled. “I thought you’d be shriveled up by the sun already, or maybe eaten by wildlife.” 

“I’m not that easy to kill,” Naomi shot back, but she wondered why the woman hadn’t killed her when she’d had the chance. The small fire in the camp let off enough light that, combined with the brightness of her own magic hanging the air, allowed her a glimpse of the necromancer. 

Long, dark hair was braided away from a face made of sharp angles and deep hollows. Dark circles rested underneath a pair of hard brown eyes, and the woman’s mouth was pulled back into a sneer. She had prominent features and would likely be considered lovely, if it weren’t for the bruised energy that seemed to drain the life from her body and leave her with only a manic gleam in her eyes. 

Naomi risked a glance at Vahid. Her heart seized at his pale, weak form collapsed across the small camp. He managed to lift his head and meet her eyes with a pained grimace. The bird edged closer to him, burning brighter as if trying to share warmth with the injured dragon. 

“Maybe I wasn’t trying to kill you,” the woman replied. “Maybe I have better uses for a spark.” With that, a gust of wind battered Naomi’s armor with bone-rattling force. The spark snarled under her breath but held fast against the onslaught- she wasn’t caught off guard this time by the shade’s strength, knew that her own magic, despite her exhaustion, was more than the stolen power from a murdered spark. 

The magic knows, Naomi had always said. The magic knows when it’s been stolen and used against a familiar power, and that would give her the edge she needed to win this fight. 

Some of the shade’s magic shot towards Vahid’s crumpled form. The bird spread its wings and met it with a flash of red-gold magic. The shade’s magic dissolved against the phoenix’s burning form.

Naomi braced her feet in the swirling sands and made a short slashing motion with her knife. Her magic snapped out like a whip across the shade, only a blurry figure across the fire. It fell back with the strike and the winds stopped. 

“You caught me off guard last time,” Naomi told the woman. “You caught Matthew off guard, too, and were lucky enough to wound him first. Otherwise, he would have won that fight.” 

“He was weak, and a fool,” the woman spat. “Always sniffing around where he shouldn’t, never helping those that needed it.” 

“He tried!” Naomi protested. “He did what he could without drawing attention to himself, and you’re an idiot if you think the Fae wouldn’t have sent an Ak’ma after him if they’d known where he was. If Matthew used too much of his magic, the Ak’ma would have killed him and every person within their reach.” 

“My family  _ died  _ because of him!” The necromancer screamed. “Half of my town slaughtered, and the spark did  _ nothing!” _

“What?” Naomi flicked her gaze from Vahid, still weak with a blade buried in his chest, to the shade swimming in and out of focus behind the woman, and then back to the enraged necromancer. 

“My name,” the woman said, fists clenched, “is Darya Al Madani.” The name seemed familiar to Naomi somehow. She frowned and Darya noticed. “Your precious teacher probably told you about the girl he was teaching in a nearby town.” 

Clarity struck. “Azita,” Naomi recalled. 

“Don’t you dare speak her name,” Darya hissed, jerking forward like she might attack again. The shade brushed against her, though, and Darya settled. “My sister was only a  _ child. _ Her powers were undefined, she hadn’t grown into them. We didn’t know what she was, just that she had magic.” 

“Matthew suspected that she might be a spark,” Naomi recalled, heart pounding. “One that hadn’t developed yet.” 

“Azita was always special. She didn’t need magic to be important.” Darya swiped furiously at her eyes. “I didn’t show any signs of having magic. It didn’t matter to me, not when Azita was so thrilled to have it. She was too young to control her magic, but the spark was trying to teach her how.” 

“Matthew only wanted to help,” Naomi said, dread pooling in her stomach. She remembered a brief mention of the town in one of Matthew’s letters, but he stopped mentioning the girl and the town around the time Naomi was searching for information on Hellmouths. She’d been too distracted with the Unseelie Queen’s plot to ask about it. 

“He brought hunters to our doorstep, and then he abandoned us to them.” Darya heaved for breath and dragged a palm down her chest as if it hurt her to breathe. “My sister’s magic... whatever they did to my family, or tried to do to her...” Her hand curled into fists again, nails drawing blood from her palms. “Azita’s magic exploded. She leveled half the town.” 

“You survived.” 

“Barely. Two of the hunters dragged me off to...” She dimmed, trailed off for a moment, lost, and then the fire in her eyes returned. “That’s when  _ my  _ magic was revealed.” 

“No one is born to death magic,” Naomi told her. 

Darya shrugged. “Maybe not. But my power burned them alive, made them  _ beg  _ for death.” If the hunters had been intending to do what Naomi thought, she could appreciate that they had certainly earned their death. But this woman before her, with frantic eyes and a cold fury she’d turned on the world, this woman was damaged far beyond that. 

Naomi glanced at Vahid again, worried when he gasped quietly for breath. Darya followed her gaze to the dragon. “A dragon has more magic than anything else on earth,” the necromancer said softly. “Enough to keep Azita alive for a long, long time.” 

The hairs on Naomi’s arms stood on end. “You raised your sister from the dead.” She stared at the shadowy figure behind Darya, hardly visible in the strange lighting. 

“She was only eleven years old,” Darya said, drained. “Just a little girl.” The shade drifted closer. Naomi could just barely make out the shade’s face, a grey figure that looked like a miniature version of Darya. 

“I wasn’t going to hurt your dragon,” Darya said abruptly, as if Vahid were only an animal and dismissed as such. “You were supposed to bring me another one, one from the City of Dragons. But you didn’t, so I had to alter my plans.” 

Naomi stared at her in alarm. “How do you know about Al Riyadmi?” Had Hassan given them away? Was the old witch in league with the necromancer? 

Darya barked a laugh. “I found a book,” she said. “I won’t tell you where I found it, but it had magic I had only ever dreamed about using. Ways to hurt people that hurt you first, how to make them suffer. How to kill.” 

Naomi stared at her in horror. “What did you do?” 

“Hassan was a witch, an old one. But he was...” Darya shook her head with a sneer on her face. “I asked him for help, you know. Azita was having nightmares, we both knew that something bad was going to happen soon. We just didn’t know what. But Hassan didn’t want the hunters turning their attention towards  _ him. _ So he refused to teach us how to ward ourselves and left us to their mercy.” 

“What did you  _ do?” _ Naomi repeated. 

“There were instructions in the book,” Darya said casually. Her dark eyes glinted. “On how to become a Soul Stealer.” 

Naomi staggered back a step, horrified. “You...” 

“Killed Hassan for leaving my family to die,” Darya finished. “And then I stole his soul. He’s trapped until I release him. But until I do...” She spoke in a language Naomi didn’t recognize, a harsh, guttural language that made her shudder. Moments later, Darya’s features shrank, twisted, until the wrinkled old witch stood before her. 

Another muttered phrase in that awful language and Darya stood before her again. “You never suspected a thing.” 

“I never thought anyone would be sick enough to do something like this,” Naomi said. “You’re...” 

“Crazy? Insane? A psychopath?” Darya’s expression was one of unfiltered rage. “I wouldn’t be  _ any  _ of those things if it hadn’t been for you people. I would still have my baby sister, I wouldn’t have to be finding ways to keep her alive for longer than a few weeks.” 

“She is  _ dead, _ Darya. This-” Naomi pointed to the shade, a mockery of what Azita used to be. “You know this isn’t right. You have to let her go.” 

“She shouldn’t be dead!  _ That  _ isn’t right, she was only a little girl!” Darya screamed back. “Why should she be dead when everyone else is alive? When _ I’m  _ still alive? When there are sparks still hiding like cowards, refusing to help the people who need it?” 

“We were being hunted, too!” Naomi shouted back. “The Fae and the war over sparks ripped my people to shreds. Sparks were murdered left and right, hunted down like animals by demons. No one wanted to help us, either!” 

“So that makes this okay?” Darya shrieked. She whipped an arm out to point at the shade behind her. “Sparks being  _ scared  _ gives you an excuse for hiding? Letting the rest of us die?” 

The fight abruptly left Naomi. “No,” she said tiredly. “No, it doesn’t.” She didn’t know when exactly the sparks had gone wrong, couldn’t pinpoint a moment that changed everything. The change was gradual, after years of watching friends and families torn apart by greedy power-seekers and demons all wanting sparks for their own use. 

But she knew that they had failed the world, just as they had failed themselves. Sentinels were supposed to be the guardians of the supernatural world, there to protect the small and the innocent. But instead of coming together to fight back, the sparks had let fear and hate silence them. 

“I know that Matthew failed you,” Naomi told her. “That  _ we  _ failed you.” She took a step closer, her armor still locked in place. Vahid took a shuddery breath to the side. The phoenix was pressed against him now- Naomi could feel a drain on her magic as the bird funneled energy into the dragon’s weakened body. 

Naomi met Darya’s gaze over the fire. The sun was rising now, early morning bringing light that only made the young woman appear like a ghost herself. “Let me make up for it,” Naomi told her. “Please, let me help you. I know... I know I’m too late to save your sister, but things are changing, Darya. Sparks-  _ Sentinels  _ are rising again, coming out of hiding to be what we were before.  _ Better  _ than we were before.” She met the girl’s tortured gaze. “I am just as guilty as the rest of them for giving up. But I’m trying to change that, by coming out of hiding and helping people like you.” 

The desert was coming to life around them, glowing brightly as the morning sun spilled across the sands. The air was still cool and light, a drastic contrast to the heavy tension between the two women. 

Darya finally spoke. “It’s too late,” she rasped. “You can’t help me now.” Naomi braced herself for an attack, but Darya spun in place to reach for the shade. The shade reached back. Darya shouted again, and they both disappeared. 

Naomi stared in shock for a moment at the empty space where the necromancer had been. She jerked to attention when Vahid groaned. The bird stood anxiously by his body.

She let her armor drop as she darted over to him. Naomi fell to her knees at his side, hands hovering over his body. “Vahid,” she said helplessly. He curled in on himself, all the color leached from his face now. He was deathly pale. 

“The knife,” he whispered. 

“Okay, okay, I can-” Naomi broke off and set a hand gingerly on his shoulder. Slowly, carefully, she pressed him backwards until he was lying on his back. Vahid stared at the sky with glassy, unfocused eyes. Naomi battled back the fear at the sight of him, still and silent, and wrapped her hand around the hilt of the blade. 

She hissed at the feel of it, burning so cold against her hand that she nearly leapt back. Instead, Naomi gritted her teeth and carefully pulled the blade free. The dragon glass glinted menacingly in the sunlight, a dark obsidian blade shot through with barely visible veins of color.

Vahid took a weak, shuddering breath once it was out. Naomi pressed her palm to the wound in his chest and blinked in surprise when it came away clean. “You aren’t bleeding,” she said dumbly, and sat down hard. 

“Dragon glass works against our magic more than our bodies,” Vahid said hoarsely. “We cannot touch it, and it keeps us immobile so long as it touches our skin or scales.” 

“Where does it come from?” Naomi asked fearfully. She wondered if it was possible to track it all down and destroy it. 

“It is the remnant of dragon fire, but it must be forged with specific materials to become dragon glass.” Vahid coughed out a laugh. “We are the creators of our own deaths.” 

She sighed at the amused glint in his eyes. “Yes, yes, it’s very poetic,” she muttered. “And morbid as hell.” Naomi lunged forward when he tried to rise. She caught him by the arms and helped him into a seated position. He looked better already, as if the strength poured back into him with the blade no longer buried in his chest. 

Vahid tried to catch his breath, one palm pressed to the former wound. Naomi gave in to the frantic urges spinning through her mind and leaned forward. She rested her forehead against his. They breathed in sync for a long time, long enough that Naomi’s limbs grew stiff and cramped. She didn’t move. 

“I was afraid you were dead,” she admitted eventually. She kept her eyes closed. 

“I feared the same for you,” Vahid murmured. “And then you shattered the wards and I knew we would be okay.” 

“That’s a lot of faith you have in me.” Naomi felt the phoenix return to her skin, sweeping gracefully across her back until it was settled from shoulder to shoulder again. 

“You are نگهبان,” Vahid reminded her. “The bravest one I have ever met.” 

“Well, to be fair, you don’t know very many,” she pointed out. 

Vahid sighed, long-suffering. “I knew نگهبان before the dawn of human exploration,” he grumbled. “And you still refuse my admiration.” 

Naomi fought the smile spreading across her face, a smile born from relief and at the cranky dragon pressed against her. “C’mon,” she said as she straightened.

“And where, pray tell, are we going?” Vahid looked around at the empty desert. “We are stranded in the desert, as I am not strong enough to fly yet.” 

“I made a boat.” Naomi shrugged. Vahid blinked at her. “It’s probably better that I show you, to be honest. Come on, let’s go find a town to get food and some rest.” 

“And then what?” Vahid wondered. He let her help him to his feet. 

Naomi sobered. “And then we have to find Darya and stop her before she kills every spark still alive on earth.” 

“You think she will kill sparks?” 

“I think she’ll have to,” Naomi said grimly. “If she wants to keep her sister tethered to this plane, she’s going to need a shit ton of magic. Sparks are the only ones that could provide that kind of power.” 

“Then we must hurry,” Vahid said urgently. He swayed. 

Naomi caught him again and propped him up against her side. “Slow down, lizard brain. We have a little time to rest and heal.” 

“And then we hunt?” 

“And then we hunt.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really like the sympathetic villain trope, and I haven't really gotten a chance to write one yet. So… here.


	17. Darcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've officially reached 300k words for this series which... holy shit

**Darcy**

Darcy stared up at the still-burning two story house with her heart in her throat. The Walker pack- what remained of it- was scattered across the yard in unmoving, crumpled heaps. 

They were too late. 

“They fought hard,” Stiles murmured at her side. He raised a trembling hand to cover his mouth. “There are just as many dead humans here.” 

Derek, crouched by one of the bodies, stood with a grim expression. “There’s wolfsbane embedded in the wounds.” 

“Hunters,” Darcy said. She couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from the flames. 

“They were here, helping the Hydra agents,” Allison said. Her mouth was a thin line, fury etched across her features though her hands were steady on the longbow. The huntress stood, composed and capable with the pack house burning behind her. Darcy had a single flash of a memory of Kate Argent, standing with a similar anger before a different house so long ago. She felt a surge of appreciation for her sister, for her strength of character and unwavering morals. 

“So we can assume at least one hunter is helping Hydra hunt down supernaturals,” Stiles concluded. 

“Two,” Laura said from across the yard. “There were at least two here.” 

“Different bullet casings with two different human scents,” Santiago explained, holding one in the air. “But the same symbol etched into the casings.” 

“I don’t see the kid,” Bucky said as he joined them. He’d scoured the back of the house. 

“Me either,” Derek said. He looked towards the woods, brows drawn low over his glowing eyes. 

“You think he’s hiding in the woods?” 

“He probably just witnessed his entire pack murdered by Hydra,” Stiles said lowly. “He’s not going to want to come out for just anyone.” 

Darcy glanced at the trio of Hale siblings. “You three shift, and we’ll start looking for him.” They stripped quickly and shifted into monstrous wolves, shaking their coats out and trotting towards the forest. “Stiles, let’s start a sweep.” 

“We’ll stay here, try to get the fire under control,” Bucky told her. “And figure out how to explain this to human authorities.” 

“I can help with that,” Santiago said, joining them. He tipped his head at Darcy and Stiles. “The little boy likely won’t want to come out if he scents a feline shifter.” Darcy nodded. 

Stiles followed the ‘wolves away from the slaughtered pack. Darcy let her magic sweep past him and into the forest, creating a thin veil of power to slide through the woods. Stiles directed his own magic to search a mile to the right of hers. Together, they followed the wolves into the woods. 

At one point, Laura tipped her head back and sent a low, wavering howl singing through the trees. The child, Noah, would hear a strange Alpha’s call, but he would at least recognize the sound of another werewolf. 

It was only a few minutes later that the three Hales stopped near a cluster of trees. Cora sniffed the air, ears pointed at the wiggling bushes around the tree trunks. Derek whined when the movements stopped, like someone had frozen in fear within their cover.

“Noah?” Darcy called softly. “Noah, my name is Darcy. I’m a spark, and these are my friends- we're here to help you.” 

She waited a moment and was rewarded when a small head poked warily out of the bushes. Solemn green eyes studied the veil of magic shimmering around the group and then focused on Darcy and Stiles. “Sparks?” He asked, almost too softly for her to hear. 

“Yeah, buddy, we’re both sparks.” Stiles flicked his wrist, sending a shower of gold magic between them. 

Noah watched the magic with a dulled interest. He squirmed in place, looking like he had a hundred questions for them, and then abruptly sobered again. “Mommy and Daddy said sparks are good.” He studied them both. “Mommy said sparks are safe. She said to find one if I got hurt or lost.” 

Darcy swallowed hard. “That’s right,” she said hoarsely. “We’re here to help you. These are our friends. Do you know who the Hale Pack is?” Noah nodded. Hell, by this point the Hales were essentially werewolf royalty. Their bloodline had been respected for centuries, and that was before they fought the Argents, before they defeated an Alpha pack, before they could all perform a full shift. 

“That’s Laura,” Stiles said softly. He pointed to the massive Alpha, who lowered herself to the ground to appear less threatening. “She’s the Alpha.” Noah flashed his eyes at her, bright green irises turning to beta-yellow for an instant before he ducked his head. Laura huffed gently back at him to return the baby wolf’s greeting. 

“Cora is right there,” Stiles continued. Cora wagged her tail at the scared boy. “And right in the middle is Derek.” 

“Big,” Noah said, but some of his wariness faded as Derek wriggled on his belly until he could very carefully touch his nose to Noah’s foot. A smile cracked the grave expression on his face and Noah reached down to cautiously touch Derek’s muzzle. 

Derek licked his hand and didn’t flinch when Noah abruptly sat down and buried his face into Derek’s fur. Darcy heard him sniffle as he clutched the wolf with little hands and felt her heart break into pieces. 

“Noah,” Stiles murmured. “Will you come back with us?” 

“Derek?” Noah asked, muffled into the werewolf’s shoulder. 

“Derek is coming, too,” Stiles promised. “You can walk with him, how’s that?” 

They waited patiently until he choked out an, “Okay.” Derek stood with him, pressing close to the boy when he stumbled over roots. 

“I like your dinosaur pajamas,” Stiles told Noah, bright and friendly to distract the little boy. 

Noah brightened and peered down at his footie pajamas. “Daddy said it was pj day,” he said, and then the enthusiasm drained out of him again. “Mommy and Daddy are gone now, like Aunt Mary and Aunt Jenna.” He seemed too shell-shocked for tears at the moment, stunned and grieving so deeply that his outward expressions were frozen, numb. 

Laura had to duck away to hide the way her eyes glowed Alpha-red in response to the child’s emotional pain. 

They approached the house all too soon. Darcy could smell smoke hanging in the air, pressing against them on all sides. The faint crackle of the flames grew louder, and she knew with a horrible certainty that Noah could likely hear it better than she. 

Before their group broke the tree line, Darcy released a wave of her magic. It swept ahead of them and rose higher and higher until a solid wall of raw magic blocked the sight of the scattered remains of Noah’s family from sight. 

Noah paused to watch the magic settle like a veil between them and the house. He clenched a fist in Derek’s fur, eyes wide, but allowed Derek to gently nudge him towards Laura. The Hale Alpha sat with Noah as Derek shifted back and quickly dressed.

Fully clothed, Derek crouched in front of the little boy. Noah blinked at him for a few seconds until Derek hesitantly opened his arms. The young werewolf darted forward into his grip and tucked his face into Derek’s neck. 

Darcy watched her brother stand with the child held tightly in his arms. Stiles met his lover’s gaze in a brief warning and then settled another veil of magic around the pair. Satisfied that the boy could no longer hear the sound of his home burning to the ground, Derek and Stiles headed for the Quinjet parked half a mile away. 

Darcy waited until they'd walked up the ramp and disappeared inside to drop her own wall of power. Allison and Bucky waited on the other side. 

“We found him,” Darcy said. She took three steps straight into Bucky’s arms and pressed her face into his chest. “He… I think he could hear it all. Maybe even felt the pack bonds disappear as they died.” 

Beside her, Cora shivered at the thought. 

Darcy just shoved herself tighter against Bucky and let him hold her. She felt him drop his head down to press a kiss to her hair as Allison finished sending another update to Maria. “There’s a neighboring pack,” Allison informed them. 

“We should probably check on them, too, just to be safe.” Darcy sighed. “The Walker Pack fought so hard that the hunters must have given up on taking any of them alive. They may have turned their attention to the next pack.” 

“It’s a bigger pack,” Allison said with a frown. “You think they’ll go in guns blazing like this time?” 

“Doubt it,” Bucky said shortly. “Hydra won’t want to risk losing another possible asset.” His hands curled against Darcy’s waist at the last word. She swept a reassuring hand over his kevlar-covered back. 

“Okay,” she said finally, separating from Bucky. “We need to move. Danny, can you look up everything we have on the neighboring pack?” At his affirmation over the comms, Darcy looked at the group waiting for her instructions. “We can review on the way. Let’s go.” 

~*~ 

By the time Darcy had showered, dressed, and hugged Isobel for a solid ten minutes before escaping to the roof of the apartment building, night had long since fallen. 

The neighboring pack had been entirely unaware of the attack on the Walkers. Their territory lines were drawn nearly forty miles west of the Walker’s pack house, so they hadn’t heard a thing. Bucky and Darcy suspected that the hunters had warned Hydra away from the much larger, much stronger pack. 

Noah still refused to release his hold on Derek, who didn’t seem inclined to let the child out of his sight either, so the boy currently slept in Stiles and Derek’s apartment, guarded more thoroughly than anyone else in the state. 

The flight home had been a grim procession. Failure sat heavy in the air, only amplified by the werewolf child shivering against Derek in the jet. Laura and Santiago had slipped away upon landing, Laura to find a lawyer friend both supernatural and familiar with managing tricky supernatural adoption cases. 

Noah had no one left, Danny confirmed after a careful search, so the Hale Pack had their work cut out for them in making sure the child didn’t end up in the human foster system. 

Darcy’s wards flared briefly as someone stepped through the roof access door behind her. She didn’t turn around, familiar with the explosive power and the individual who wielded it. 

“You’re back early,” she commented when Jane settled against Darcy on the bench. Boyd had a growing interest in woodworking lately, and had built both the bench and his daughter’s crib. Darcy was planning to harass him into building her custom bookshelves soon. 

“I had a bad feeling,” Jane admitted. “Plus, the Viveox were acting oddly.” 

“How so?” Darcy didn’t take her eyes from the weak shine of the stars above, competing desperately with the lights of the city. 

“Like they were anxious, staring off into space with those creepy white eyes like they could see something I couldn’t.” 

“They aren’t creepy,” Darcy protested distractedly. 

“They are when they’re staring into another dimension,” Jane grumbled. 

That caught Darcy’s attention. “They can see into other dimensions?” 

Jane shrugged. “Who the fuck knows, really. They’re seeing _ something, _ but they can’t tell us because they don’t talk. At least, not in any language we’re capable of understanding.” Jane pressed into Darcy’s side. Darcy was grateful for the comforting warmth of her friend and leaned against her. “Heard today was...” 

“A cluster fuck?” Darcy suggested, but she tipped her head onto Jane’s shoulder when her eyes burned. “We were too late.” 

“Not for the little boy,” Jane pointed out. “He would have been stranded, all alone if you guys hadn’t found him.” The Fae Queen reached down to grasp Darcy’s hand when the spark sniffled. “Is he staying with the pack?” 

“Most likely, if that’s what he wants. The other pack, well... Let’s just say they weren’t friendly with the Walker pack. I wouldn’t leave  _ any  _ child with them, but especially not Noah.” 

“Derek and Stiles seem... attached,” Jane said diplomatically. 

“Noah hasn’t let go of Derek since we found him,” Darcy told her. “None of us want to separate them in case it traumatizes Noah even more.” 

“That poor baby,” Jane murmured. She squeezed Darcy’s hand. “So, when are we burning Hydra to the ground? Thor and Sif are downstairs with Isobel now, but they came back with me when I thought there might be a legitimate fight.” 

“Soon,” Darcy said lowly. “As soon as we locate their new headquarters, we’re taking the fight to them.” She’d spent a long couple of hours planning on the roof. 

“I’ll be there,” Jane promised. 

Darcy smiled. “I know.” They sat in silence for a while longer, listening to the frantic noises of the city below. Eventually, Darcy asked the question that she’d been holding onto ever since the Hellmouth battle. “Hey, Jane?” 

“Hmm?” 

“What was the fight against the other Unseelie Queen like?” She winced when Jane stiffened. They hadn’t discussed the battle, some unspoken understanding between them to acknowledge their respective traumas but not press, to leave those wounds to heal like jagged emotional scars. 

Darcy wondered, after a long silence, whether Jane would answer her question. Just when she had nearly given up, considered brushing over the question with a joke or redirecting the topic to the new Unseelie Court’s progress, Jane answered. 

“It was terrifying,” Jane said quietly. “She almost won.” Darcy sucked in a breath at the emptiness of her friend’s voice, as if talking about the fight brought that fear and panic back to the surface. 

Jane tilted her head back to stare up at the stars she loved so dearly. “I had lived my entire life containing my power, shoving it down and neglecting it. But it was still growing, all that time, and I was always too afraid to use it.” 

“Understandable,” Darcy said. Jane’s magic was endless, volatile, the power of a supernova lurking under human skin; It was so vast that Darcy was often staggered by the depth of her friend’s magic. And always in awe of the Fae’s strength that kept all of that cosmic wild contained. 

“I could barely keep up with her at first, and she knew it. She was just playing with me- she enjoyed having a chance to kill the Seelie Queen’s daughter. Not that my death would matter to my mother in the slightest, but it would be an insult to the Seelie Court that couldn’t be ignored.” 

“What changed?” 

“I just... let go,” Jane said, sounding a bit bewildered. “I let go of everything that was holding me back. Fear of hurting someone, of losing control, or one of you dying, or falling into one of the Queen’s clutches. The Fae torture like you could never imagine, Darcy. Some of them are monsters, honest-to-god monsters.” 

“You beat her, though.” 

“I never really knew just how deep my magic went.” Jane shook her head, something awed and full of wonder in her eyes. “It was like I was standing among the stars, surrounded by space and light. My magic burned through hers until she had nothing left.” 

“I haven’t said it before, but I should have,” Darcy said quietly. “I’m proud of you, Jane. And I’m proud to call you my friend.” 

“I’m proud of you, too, Darce,” Jane whispered. 

“We’ve come a long way, haven’t we?” 

“We have.” Jane sighed in irritation. “Please remind me why we ended up in New York City, though. Look at this.” She stabbed a finger at the weak light of the stars above. “This is bullshit, Darcy, look at all the light pollution.” 

“Kind of stupid that the world’s leading astrophysicist ends up in a major city,” Darcy agreed. Her wards flared again and she smiled as the other approached. 

“You’re here because you love us too much to leave,” Laura told Jane with a grin. Jane rolled her eyes at the Alpha but didn’t contradict her. Lydia slid onto the bench on Darcy’s other side; Allison and Laura sat on the ground in front of them to lean back against their legs. 

“Did you get it sorted out?” Darcy asked worriedly. 

Laura collapsed back into Jane’s legs with a tired sigh. “I think so. We’ve got most of the paperwork started. My friend is going to track down Judge Chen in the morning.” 

“He’s a supernatural?” Jane asked. 

“No,” Allison said. “But his wife was bitten by a rogue werewolf when they were in college. They’re in a local pack now, and he’s been involved in supernatural cases before. He’ll help us with this.” She turned when the roof door creaked open, revealing Cora. Erica followed behind the youngest Hale with Isobel tucked into her arms, Boyd and Bucky carrying another, much larger bench. 

Erica handed over her daughter to Darcy when the spark squirmed around to reach for her. Darcy stood and stepped carefully around the scattered people to sit between Boyd and Bucky on the other bench. Bucky slid an arm over her shoulders and trailed a gentle hand over the baby’s hair. Isobel beamed up at them with a toothless grin. 

Allison took Darcy’s previous spot between Lydia and Laura as Danny and Jackson joined the pack, settling on the ground in front of the women. The mood soon turned light and comforting, the way most of their pack meetings did naturally. 

Darcy tucked herself closer to Bucky and talked with Erica and Boyd until the door creaked again. The chatter dropped off, leaving the roof quiet and solemn as Stiles and Derek slowly guided Noah across the roof to join the rest of them. 

Noah was hesitant, one hand tucked into Derek’s as he tentatively inched his way closer to the pack. Laura leaned over to flash her eyes at the young werewolf in welcome; he relaxed further at the Alpha’s greeting and followed the couple until they were seated against the low wall of the rooftop, facing the rest of the pack. 

Noah climbed into Derek’s lap immediately but reached for Stiles when the spark sat too far away. Stiles smiled at him and scooted closer until he was pressed tightly against Derek’s side, within Noah’s reach. 

The pack started their conversations again but carefully avoided studying the young orphan. He gradually lost the worried lines across his forehead and snuck shy, interested glances at the gathered pack. Noah’s gaze fell on Isobel in Darcy’s lap and he lifted his head to sniff the air between them. 

“Baby,” he told Derek quietly. 

“That’s Isobel,” Derek told him, and quietly explained that she was the pack’s first baby. Noah listened solemnly. Darcy watched him out of the corner of her eye, as did Laura, and hoped fervently that her pack could help the little boy heal from the his traumatic loss. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got another chapter written this morning, so I managed to update back on my "normal" day. I'm planning to have this finished before Christmas, so updates will probably come as I finish chapters in the next 2 weeks. Thanks for everything, you guys are the best :)


	18. Naomi

**Naomi**

Vahid caught Naomi’s hand the third time she touched her fingertips to the healed wound on his chest. He was reclined on the full sized bed in the small hotel in Semnān, watching her place the nastiest defensive wards she knew around the room. 

They’d reached the city barely before the hotel closed, and Naomi had had to do some fast talking to get them a room. The concierge had relented only when Naomi lied and said that she and Vahid were newly married, and that her husband wasn’t feeling well enough to find somewhere else to stay. Vahid’s exhausted slump in one of the lobby’s nearby chairs further proved her point. 

She’d hovered behind the dragon the entire walk to their room, watching him like a hawk for any signs of discomfort or weakness. Vahid had tolerated it with amused acceptance, but stopped her when she crossed the room again to check on him once again. 

“نگهبان, I am healing well,” he reminded her. 

“You had a knife buried in your chest,” she snapped, flustered under his steady silver gaze. “Forgive me if I’m still a little concerned about that.” 

“I have no remaining physical wounds,” he said patiently. He hadn’t released her hand. She let him wrap his fingers around hers and felt a spike of concern to feel that his body temperature was similar to her own. Dragons radiated warmth like a damn space heater, and she was worried that his body temperature had dropped so low. 

“You’re still weak,” she argued. 

Vahid sighed at that. “Dragon glass causes deep magical injuries to my kind. It takes a while to recover, but I am regaining my strength with every passing hour,  نگهبان.” 

Naomi pulled up a chair beside the bed and collapsed into it. Her hand slid from his grasp as she leaned her elbows on her knees and dropped her face into her hands with a tired sigh. Relaxing was a struggle; she was still wired from the confrontation with Darya and transporting an injured dragon across miles of empty desert to safety. 

The room was silent for so long that she nearly dropped off to sleep. Vahid moved on the bed, rustling the sheets and sending Naomi hurtling back into awareness. 

“Apologies,” Vahid murmured. 

“It’s fine,” she said quietly, willing her racing heartbeat to calm again. “I’m a little twitchy after everything.” She offered a crooked smile and absently adjusted the blanket over the dragon. 

“I still say you should take the bed,” Vahid said. 

“Don’t start with me,” she warned. His insistence had come up hard against her unimpressed refusal- the argument had lasted all of a handful of minutes. “You’re injured, you need the rest.” 

“You do as well,” he said, grumpy. 

Naomi rolled her eyes. “I’ll be up half the night on watch, anyway. It’d be a waste of a decent mattress.” She thumped him on the shoulder when she noticed the teasing wink he sent her way. “No sex jokes, you idiot, you’re one wrong move away from slipping into a coma.” 

“Is that a threat?” Vahid wondered. She huffed a laugh. He turned his head to study her as she sprawled back into the chair and rested her head on the back of it. She closed her eyes, her mind replaying the discussion with Darya in vivid detail. 

“I find it difficult to hate the necromancer,” Vahid said after a lull. “She practices dark magic that I do not approve of in the slightest, but I cannot fault her for her anger.” 

“Everything she did was because Matt didn’t help their town.” Naomi’s chest ached. “Whether he didn’t know, or didn’t get there in time, he failed them. Hell,  _ we  _ failed them. We’re supposed to be better than this.” 

“Do not blame yourself for Darya’s dark path. Her actions are understandable, yes,” Vahid said firmly, “but not excusable.  _ She _ made the decision to turn to death magic. That was her own darkness and anger twisting her soul.” 

Naomi kept her eyes closed but shook her head in answer, too emotionally exhausted to verbalize, much less explain, the sense of failure digging its claws into her heart. 

Vahid carefully propped himself up on an elbow when Naomi didn’t answer. “You are not responsible for every bad event that happens. نگهبان cannot protect everyone, no matter how strong or how many of you exist.” He narrowed his eyes at her when she seemed to ignore him. “It is foolish and arrogant to think otherwise.” 

Naomi cracked her eyes open wide enough to shoot a glare his way. Vahid was unmoved by the vibrant gold irises shining through her narrow-eyed expression of annoyance. “Stop blaming yourself for matters out of your control,” he ordered.

“I had a responsibility-” 

“The weight of this world is not yours to bear alone,” he interrupted. “And the actions of others are  _ not  _ your responsibility, let alone your fault.” 

“Stop being so logical,” she complained. “Let me brood in peace.” 

“I will not,” Vahid said primly. He gingerly laid back down with a wince. 

Naomi furrowed her brows. “You’re sure a healing rune won’t help?” 

“It is my magic that is damaged, nothing else,” he told her again. “Not even a spark can heal this kind of wound.” 

“You don’t know that,” she muttered, rekindling the old argument. They’d fought over it the entire way to the town while she guided her makeshift boat with utmost caution across the sands. “You haven’t even let me  _ try.” _

“I will not risk it,” he said on a temperamental sigh. “My magic could very well take more than you are able to give.” 

“Dragon magic is greedy, then?” She asked, amused. 

Silver eyes flashed in the dim room. “We are very possessive creatures.” She noticed the heated glance across her face and then back to the ceiling. “And rather obsessed with magics such as your own.” 

Naomi eyed him but ultimately decided to leave that topic untouched. The gleam in his eyes made her uncomfortably warm; she licked her lips and shifted around, trying to tamper the small thrill in her blood at the dragon’s hinted interest. 

Her mind drifted off eventually, back to the confrontation, back to Matt’s wrecked house.  Naomi wrinkled her nose at the faint scent of smoke in the air and glanced over towards Vahid. He huffed, apparently annoyed, and a tiny thread of smoke slipped from his lips. “You are upset again,” he commented. 

“A little,” she admitted. Naomi wrapped an arm around her waist and drummed the fingers of her other hand on the arm of the chair. “Thinking about Matt’s place.” Vahid made a low, questioning noise. She tipped a shoulder in a shrug. “Just wondering if the note he left with Hassan’s name on it was meant to be a warning.” 

“If Darya took her revenge on the witch and assumed his face for a meeting, your mentor may have very well suspected something,” Vahid agreed. 

“Damn it, Matt,” Naomi sighed. “Why didn’t you ask for help? I would have come.” 

“And been killed by the hunters as well?” 

Naomi shook her head. “The hunters succeeded only because Azita’s power hadn’t developed yet. She was as defenseless as a human, though prone to random, uncontrollable magical outbursts.” 

“They would not have succeeded against you?” 

“No. Not a full grown spark. That’s why, when the world turned on us, the hunters and Fae and wolves all went for the younger sparks first.” 

“They murdered the pupils before the teachers?” Vahid's voice was grim. 

“The teachers all went into hiding,” Naomi told him. “Many were killed by the Ak’ma, and after their students were slaughtered they just... gave up.” She had kept a low profile those early years, but after Matthew went into hiding and she met Alec, Naomi hadn’t exactly been interested in leading a revolution. 

And then Alec died, and her whole world seemed to fall away to fog and emptiness- at least, until two young, indignant sparks showed up on her doorstep and refused to let her fade away, too. 

“How terrible that we find ourselves so alone in this world.” Vahid turned his head to the side to blink at her. “At least your young pupils are alive and thriving.” 

A slow smile curled at the corners of her mouth. “Alive and stirring up trouble, you mean.” 

“You are proud of them,” he said, dismissing her long-suffering tone. 

“I am.” She sighed. “This new world they’re creating, though, it’s... It’s theirs. Something they’re building, a future that they believe in.” 

“You do not?” 

“Oh, I do. But they have the resources and the power at their disposal to rebuild now. It’s theirs- they don’t need me for this.” She saw Vahid’s expression soften and hurried to say, “I’m not feeling sorry for myself, don’t look at me like that. There’s just... a divide now, sort of. And besides that, I think the new generation should be the one to shape their own future.”  

“It takes wisdom to know when to step back and let your students grow,” Vahid said, watching her intently. “And to give them the space to do so.” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Naomi said, ducking her head to hide her smile. 

Vahid traced the design on the blanket, no longer looking at her when he asked, “So while your students rebuild the guardians of earth, what will you do?” 

Naomi shrugged. “Try to find other sparks, I guess. After we get you to your people, of course.” Because he was leaving, she reminded herself. He wanted nothing more than to find his people again. She had suppressed that thought ever since they’d found Nia. 

“Yes,” Vahid said slowly. “I must return to Al Riyadmi.” She waited for him to say more, saw the brief internal struggle play out on his face, but Vahid said nothing after that, just stared at the ceiling with his brows drawn low over his eyes. Naomi felt oddly disappointed in his silence but turned her attention to maintaining her wards throughout the night. 

The following morning, Naomi poured over a map while Vahid did his very best to use all of the hotel’s hot water. She glanced every so often at the closed bathroom door, mildly concerned that he’d fallen asleep or passed out in the shower, but his low, soothing humming drifted through the door every time her worry spiked. 

Strange, how in-tune he seemed to be with her moods. 

“You have a plan?” Vahid asked as he swung the door open twenty minutes later. Naomi blinked at the sheer volume of steam rolling from the bathroom and then immediately averted her gaze. The dragon waited for her response, wearing only a towel clutched haphazardly in one hand. He ran his free hand through the shoulder-length wet hair as she watched the ugly carpet threads with utmost (desperate) fascination. 

“I have an idea,” Naomi admitted. “Just a guess as to where she’d turn next.” She pointed to a pile of bags on the desk. “The concierge believed our ‘lost luggage’ story and found some clothes for you from their gift shop.” 

“I sincerely hope you did not pay for these,” Vahid muttered distastefully as he sorted through the bag. 

“They added it to our bill,” she said absently. “Just wear them for now, we can go shopping in a little while.” 

“Oh?” Interest brightened his tone. She saw him straighten in excitement out of the corner of her eye and swallowed when the towel slipped even further. “We have time for shopping?” 

Naomi cleared her throat. “Yep. All part of the plan.” 

Vahid frowned. “You think we will find her shopping?”

“ _ She _ is shopping for her next victim,” Naomi said. She tapped at a cluster on the map. “And she’ll need a big city to find another magic user.” 

“Hassan was from a small town,” Vahid reminded her. He scowled unhappily at the rough material of the shirt but pulled it on. 

“Hassan was someone she knew before,” Naomi said with a wave of her hand. “He was personal for her, as was Matt, but the odds of finding a magic user in a big city are much higher. She’ll have learned that by now.” 

“Is Semnān large enough?” 

“Probably,” Naomi sighed. “But my bet is that she figured we would go for the closest city to recover. I think Darya would have gone to Tehrān instead.” She risked a glance up and was relieved to find him fully dressed, toweling his hair dry. “Do you feel up to flying today?” 

Vahid flashed her a bright smile. “I feel up to  _ anything  _ today.” 

“Keep it in your pants,” Naomi said dryly. She grinned when he spluttered in surprise. Feeling victorious about getting in the last word for once, Naomi sauntered out the door. “Let’s move, lizard brain. We’ve got a necromancer to catch.” 

~*~ 

As wildly entertaining as it was to watch Vahid flick through designer clothing as if none of it was worthy to grace his form, Naomi kept her attention turned towards the streets of Tehrān. The city was busy enough that she had to focus carefully in order to assess the potential capabilities of each passersby. 

Behind her, the store attendants fawned over Vahid as he tried on the piles of clothes they’d suggested. Naomi could hardly blame them- the dragon was somehow still appallingly attractive in the hotel’s terrible tourist clothing options. He was another sight entirely in form-fitting, high-quality clothing. 

Vahid spoke softly to the staff, genuinely interested in their opinions and dazzling them with his bright eyes and brighter smile. He sent a wink her way when the rest of them were distracted, grinning at her wry expression. She turned away before he could see the smile spread across her face in response, but judging by his smug reflection in the store’s windows, he’d seen it. 

Naomi let him continue to distract the staff, leaving her to sort through the city in peace. 

They moved on to the next high-end designer store when her search turned up fruitless. However, before they could walk inside the fourth of the day, Naomi stopped Vahid with a hand on his bag-laden arm. 

His attention sharpened immediately. “You found something?” 

“Across the street,” Naomi murmured. “Someone pretty strong lives there- the strongest magic user I’ve felt all day.” 

“So they might be Darya’s next target.” Vahid cocked his head in thought. “There is a restaurant a few doors down.” 

Naomi nodded. “We should get a table near the window to monitor. Darya won’t make her move in the middle of the day like this, but she’ll do some recon at least. She has a routine for her killings by now.” 

“One she won’t want to break with her shade’s life force on the line,” Vahid agreed. “Come, let us eat. We will catch the necromancer when she makes her move.” 

“You’d better hope she doesn’t have any more dragon glass,” Naomi muttered as they entered the restaurant. 

Vahid held the door open with a scowl. “I  _ am  _ concerned that she had a dragon glass blade in her possession, but it was likely found along with that nasty book she discovered. There should not be an abundance of that just lying around.” 

“Just don’t get stabbed again, please, that was very inconvenient.” Naomi winced a little when the hostess’s mouth dropped open. “Uh, that was a joke. Table for two?”  


	19. Darcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyy an extra update!! I have a lot of favorite lines in this chapter.

**Darcy**

Darcy made a face as Natasha joined her at the table with their drinks, the assassin weaving effortlessly through the crowded club with inhuman grace. 

“Stop that,” Natasha said mildly without even looking at Darcy’s expression. “You'll give us away with your sour faces, solnishka.” 

“Everyone is making a face at their drink,” Darcy pointed out. “Because they're terrible and watered down, and it smells like sweat and poor choices in this place.” Not to mention the cover band committing high treason against an entire playlist full of songs. 

“So dramatic,” Natasha murmured. She sipped her drink, which was halfway empty already despite the fact that Darcy knew the agent hadn't let a drop past her painted lips. She made a mental note to ask about that particular trick. 

Natasha eyed the spark with amusement when she let her drink spill onto the floor. “Whoops,” Darcy said flatly. “What a shame.” 

“Subtle.” Bucky’s voice was dry over the comms device. Darcy winked at a nearby camera and smiled when he huffed a laugh. 

“Now, now, children,” Natasha said with a smirk. Her attention sharpened on the club entrance. Darcy didn’t follow her gaze, but instead studied the surrounding dancers. The vast majority was drunk off of cheap booze and the dance floor was gradually turning into a giant orgy, but Darcy spotted a handful of supernaturals in the crowd. 

Most of them were scanning the club with worried expressions. Darcy noted a few that outright left the building when they finally spotted the spark and the Void sitting together. Others shot them wide-eyed looks, warily edging away from the two women. 

“He’s here,” Natasha murmured. 

Mark Tompkins, the final piece of the puzzle to tracking down Hydra’s newest leader. Tompkins was born into excessive wealth and, after taking over his father’s import/export business, evidently began funneling money to Hydra. 

Tony and Danny had tracked regular transactions back to Tompkins’ accounts; Natasha and Darcy had suited up immediately to track him down at his usual Friday night haunts- beginning with this terrible club. 

“Heading for the upper level,” Natasha reported. “At your three o’clock. Three o'clock. Three.  _ Three- _ have you ever seen a clock before?" She demanded. 

“You didn’t say my three or your three!” Darcy complained, but she finally caught sight of the man ascending the stairs across the room. 

Bucky, parked in a van across the street outside to monitor the mission, made a noise of affirmation. “That’s him, alright. Make your move.” Darcy stood and, after sharing a dark smile with Natasha, followed the Black Widow into the crowd.

~*~ 

“Team Not-A-Werewolf meeting number, uh...” 

“We lost count forever ago, just move on,” Lydia sighed. Allison stifled a laugh into her drink.

“Meeting number whatever, then, has officially begun!” Stiles crowed. 

Imani looked around uncertainly at the gathered group in Darcy’s apartment. “Team Not-A-Werewolf?”

Darcy handed her a mug of hot chocolate with a liberal amount of peppermint schnapps mixed in. “We used to be Team Mostly Human, but then the ‘mostly’ part turned out to be a lie.” 

Allison raised a hand. “I’m the only human here, technically. Well,” she cocked her head in thought, a thoroughly wolf-like movement. “Danny will be here soon, so I guess we’re at a final count of two.” 

“Danny is here now, and he would like for you assholes to stop scheduling these meetings on date nights with Jackson,” he said irritably. Lydia eyed him dangerously when he collapsed beside her with a thump and nearly sent her toppling off of the couch. 

“Thank you for clearing your busy schedule to be with us tonight,” Stiles said seriously. He grinned when Danny only held up a middle finger in response. 

A sound at the apartment door had the group turning with a collective frown. Stiles glanced at Darcy. “Do we know anyone that knocks?” 

Imani laughed quietly and stood. “It’s probably Malik, he said he would come tonight.” She let her brother in, shaking her head at the snow in his hair. “Were you on the roof again?” 

“I had to check on the greenhouse,” he said brightly. The druid high-fived Stiles when the spark held out a hand as Malik passed behind the couch, looking pleased with the gesture. 

“Take a seat, Malik,” Darcy offered, gesturing to the varied collection of couches and chairs. “We’re here to continue our tradition of drinking and complaining.” 

“Mostly about werewolves,” Lydia informed the druid. “But other topics are welcome.” 

“I don’t have many complaints about werewolves,” Malik said, somewhat anxious. 

“That’s because you don’t work directly with them,” Maria drawled from behind him. She and Natasha stood in the open doorway, as dressed down as Darcy had ever seen them in sweatpants and hoodies. 

“And they still look like supermodels,” Allison griped under her breath. 

Natasha glided into the room and went straight for the counter filled with bottles of alcohol. Darcy joined her, seeking a refill of her Fireball apple cider. “Where’s Clint?” She asked the other woman, hopping onto the counter. 

The Widow rolled her eyes. “He wanted to try and get past the wards.” 

“Again?” Darcy demanded. “Didn’t he learn his lesson last time?” 

Even as she spoke, her wards flared and Stiles shouted in alarm from the living room as a body went hurtling past the window. Natasha shook her head with a beleaguered sigh when the spark threw the window open and climbed out onto the fire escape. “Don’t worry, I caught him!” Stiles called over his shoulder, and then promptly leaned over the railing to laugh at the sharpshooter. The others crowded around to do the same. 

“So, any update on the interrogation?” Darcy asked quietly. 

Maria, leaning casually against the counter nearby, nodded. “Stark’s been following up on the leads Tompkins has given us.” 

“So he’s cooperating?” 

“He doesn’t think he is, but yes.” Natasha smirked. 

“A couple more days, a little more information from Tompkins, and we should have the location of Lukas Burke’s headquarters,” Maria said. “We’re closing in, and fast.”

“Does Tompkins know about the supernatural?” Darcy asked. 

“No.” Natasha shook her head. “He just knows that Hydra’s working on potential super soldiers. And then he starts bleating on about cutting one head off and two will take its place, they will rise again, blah blah blah.” 

“Not if you cut out the heart,” Darcy murmured. Maria flashed her an approving grin. 

Clint staggered into the apartment then, helped through the window by Stiles and Allison. He caught sight of Darcy’s judgmental look. “It’s not fair that Tasha can do it and I can’t!” He whined. “I swear I got closer this time.” 

“You most definitely did not,” Darcy informed him. “And you’re lucky Stiles caught you, or you’d have broken your ribs again falling into the dumpster.” 

“How are you still alive?” Maria sighed. 

“Oh, Maria, good to see you. Do the other three horsemen know you’ve arrived safely to earth?” Clint seemed to immediately regret his comment when she only smiled sweetly at him. 

“They do, in fact, and would like to remind you that _ I  _ choose your missions now, Barton.” 

“I, uh-” 

“Don’t speak, you’ll only make this worse,” Natasha ordered. She dragged him into the living room like an unruly child. Maria followed with an interested observation of her girlfriend’s manhandling of the sharpshooter. 

Darcy joined the group and settled between Stiles and Imani. Malik was coaxing Darcy’s half-dead plant back to life in the corner of the room, shooting the spark a wounded glance. Darcy winced. “I tried, Malik, I swear.” 

Imani snorted. “I can hear it screaming for mercy from here, Darce. Leave the plants alone.” She dodged the spark’s half-hearted kick of protest with a laugh.

“Where’s Bucky?” Danny asked. He let his head fall onto Lydia’s shoulder, Allison on her other side, the trio a relaxed tangle of limbs on the couch.

“Bonding with Steve,” Darcy reported. “AKA getting drunk and watching a baseball game. But they’ll both probably show up here in a couple hours. Sam’s with them, he’ll get everyone here safely. Probably.” 

“Speaking of the Falcon,” Allison said. “I hear you two are one hell of a pair.” The huntress tapped her foot against Imani’s calf with a friendly smile. 

“They are,” Maria agreed. “She’s earned a lot of respect from the supernatural community lately. Especially with Kira back in California for a few weeks- she's really stepped up.” Maria smiled when Imani ducked her head with a shy, pleased grin. 

Stiles squawked when Danny threw a pillow into his face. “No phones, Stilinski! Rule number one of the meetings!” 

“I’m sorry, okay, but Derek took Noah to Central Park with Erica and Boyd. Look at these pictures, Danny, look at them!” Stiles shoved his phone under Danny’s nose. 

Allison leaned over to coo at the photos. “He’s holding Izzie, look how sweet!” Noah had quickly become attached to the pack’s newest addition. Allison, their resident psychologist, suspected it was partially due to his own trauma, expressed by his constant concern over the baby’s safety. He insisted on checking on her throughout the night, Stiles had shared with Darcy earlier. 

“I’m surprised you aren’t there, too,” Danny said, though he was smiling at the screen. 

Stiles huffed. “Please, I know these meetings are sacred.” 

“And Erica decided they were having a werewolf outing and you weren’t invited,” Darcy said. Stiles elbowed her. 

“Just because they’re jealous of our no-wolf meetings,” he muttered. 

“So the pack is keeping Noah?” Imani asked. “I still don’t understand exactly how this works.” 

Darcy tipped her hand from side to side. “It’s technically not all legal, but that’s to be expected when you’re trying to keep a supernatural child out of human foster homes.”

“I’ve done some work forging past records,” Danny added. “Stuff that provides evidence that the Hales are friends with the deceased pack- that way we could tell the cops that we found the Walkers after the attack when we showed up for our ‘scheduled dinner plans.’” 

“Cops are still trying to figure out the hell happened, but with all of Danny’s work and Noah’s obvious preference and familiarity with other ‘wolves, the assigned social worker permitted it.” 

“I’m still trying to get the case reassigned to someone in the know.” Danny sighed. “But the NYC database for social work cases is a nightmare.” 

“We’re doing alright with the current one,” Stiles reassured him. 

“Are you going to adopt him?” Imani asked curiously. 

Stiles ducked his head in an uncharacteristic display of shyness. “Derek and I have talked it over, with each other and with Laura and Noah, and… yeah, we are.” The room exploded with excited noises and congratulations, everyone crowding in around the spark with the wolf-like instinct to be close, to show their excitement with touches and smiles. 

Hours later, Bucky stumbled in to find most of the group rather intoxicated. Darcy beamed up at him as he stepped carefully over the sprawled bodies on the floor to join her; Bucky settled into the six inches of space between her and the arm of the couch and tugged her into his lap. 

“Hi,” she said, amused. 

Bucky smiled sleepily at her. “Hey, doll.” 

Darcy ran her fingers through his hair. “You guys have fun?” He hummed in an affirmative response, eyes drifting closed as he arched into her touch. 

Stiles yawned loudly from the other end of the couch. “I think Derek just tripped our apartment wards. I’m going to help him put Noah to bed.” Slowly, the rest of the group dispersed. Natasha and Maria took the guest bedroom down the hall, with the rest of the pack returning to their own apartments in the building. 

Darcy brushed her lips against Bucky’s as the front door closed behind Allison, echoed by the guest bedroom door. “Bed?” She asked against his mouth. 

Bucky stood in answer, bringing her with him. Darcy waited until her feet touched the floor again to tug him down the hall. He shouldered their bedroom door shut and let her drag him onto the bed. She debated doing something about the heat curling low in her belly at the sight of him, sprawled shirtless and sleepy across their bed, but ultimately just tucked herself into his side and let the exhaustion pull her under. 

~*~ 

The next morning they woke slowly, stirring lazily under the covers with quiet hums and gentle touches. Darcy smiled as he trailed his mouth along the line of her shoulders, metal arm tucked around her waist to pull her back against him. 

His morning scruff brushed along the sensitive skin of her neck and she shivered, warmth spreading through her body at Bucky’s teasing touches. The hand on her waist slipped underneath her shirt to spread over her belly when she rolled her hips into him with a soft gasp. 

A vibranium thumb brushed ever so lightly against the underside of her breasts. Darcy bit her lip against a moan when teeth scraped carefully against the shell of her ear, followed by his fingers trailing lower and lower... 

The moment broke when her stomach growled, loud enough that Bucky paused in alarm for one brief second that faded when she groaned in embarrassment and annoyance. “Hungry, doll?” He asked, laughing into her hair.

“Apparently,” she grumbled. “But I was having fun.” 

She felt him kiss the top of her head right before dragging her backwards to the edge of the bed. “C’mon. Food first.” 

“And then we can get back to this?” She asked with a sly glance up at him. God, he was so gorgeous that it took her breath away sometimes. Bucky watched her with hands on his hips, a position that did delicious things to his shoulders and arms. His hair- trimmed by an insistent Lydia a few weeks ago- was getting long again, nearly brushing his shoulders and framing a sharp jawline and bright blue eyes. 

“I got no other plans this mornin’,” he said with a wink. “I’ll make breakfast.” 

In her defense, she let them at least finish their french toast and smoothies before luring him to the couch. Bucky went all too willingly with swollen lips from their brief detour on the kitchen counter. 

Now they made out like a couple of teenagers on the couch, Darcy straddling his lap as he tugged her shirt over her head and tossed it aside. She inhaled at the slap of cold air against her skin, and was instantly soothed by his large, warm hands skimming up her bare body. 

“I love lazy days,” Bucky sighed, bringing his hands up to cup her breasts. Darcy hummed in agreement and swiveled her hips, seeking friction. He groaned and sank further back into the cushions to let her lean over him. 

Darcy frowned when his hands dropped back down to slide along the length of her thighs. She expressed her displeasure against the curve of his neck by biting down, fitting her teeth against his skin as the entire line of his body went taut. 

“Darce,” he gasped, straining to remain still even as his fingers tightened on her thighs. She felt him jerk in place, an aborted thrust even as he grew harder in his sweatpants. “That’s just mean.” 

“Stop teasing  _ me, _ then,” she mumbled into his skin. Now it was her turn to make him shiver, trailing her nose up the line of his neck and nipping along that jawline. She kept moving, let her nose nudge against his cheek as he turned towards her, and then they were kissing for real. 

They traded open mouthed kisses punctuated with the occasional scrape of teeth, teasing and slowly growing more heated with each pass of her tongue against his. Bucky traced his fingers from her shoulders and down her back, making her squirm until they came to a stop at her cartoon wolf patterned sleep shorts. 

“As cute as these are,” he said against her mouth with a tug at the waistband, “they’re in the way.” 

“You should probably do something about that, then,” she said seriously. 

“I probably should,” he agreed with a solemn expression. Darcy squawked in surprise when he spun them around, sending her sprawling onto her back along the length of the couch. 

“Smooth,” she laughed, and lifted her hips to let him draw the shorts and underwear off of her. 

“I try,” he said with a modest shrug. Bucky sat back on his heels at the end of the L-couch and admired the way she was splayed, naked and relaxed, along the soft grey of the couch cushions. 

Darcy watched with hooded eyes as he pressed his fingers oh-so-softly to her bottom lip. She licked her lip when his fingers dipped down, sliding along smooth skin down her neck, between her breasts, glancing along her stomach and trailing to a stop at her knee. 

“You’re gorgeous,” he murmured. Heat stained her cheeks and she tamped down on the urge to look away, to brush him off… because something about the way he looked at her made her believe him. She’d always had a complex relationship with her looks, but seeing the awe in Bucky’s eyes made those doubts dissolve. 

Bucky leaned over her before she could get any words past the lump in her throat. He braced himself on one arm beside her head and Darcy held her breath at the gentle, languid press of his mouth against hers. She arched into him, hips brushing his, but he made them slow. Lips trailing over her skin, kissing along her shoulders, inner elbows, wrists, fingers drifting up her sides until Darcy was shaking. 

Bucky kept it deliberate and slow and sweet, turning her brain into mush and leaving her a shivering mess. Darcy kissed him, deep and adoring, and gave herself over to his soft, reverent attention. 


	20. Naomi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lots of updates coming your way! I'm planning to have this finished within the week

**Naomi**

Vahid watched curiously as Naomi dug through her bag and came up triumphant with a large medicine bottle. She subtly shook a pill out with her hands underneath the restaurant table and quickly swallowed it with a mouthful of water. 

“You do this every night, no matter the circumstances,” Vahid said when she’d tucked the bottle away again. “What is it?” 

“It’s medicine,” Naomi explained. She felt her shoulders hunch into an automatic defensive position and had to force herself to relax again. 

Vahid frowned, contrite. “I apologize if I have overstepped, نگهبان. It was not my intention to make you uncomfortable.” 

“It’s okay,” Naomi told him truthfully. “It’s just reflex by now, to get defensive with questions.” She tapped her foot against his leg underneath the table when he still looked distressed. “Remember how I told you about being transgender?” 

Vahid nodded. “Yes. Your medicine is related?” 

“My parents found me a doctor that put me on puberty blockers when I was about twelve or so,” she said. “And I had genital reassignment surgery when I was nineteen, but my body doesn’t naturally produce female hormones. So I take a pill every night that provides that for me.” 

“Human medicine has come so far,” Vahid said, alight with interest. 

“Not as far as it should be,” Naomi said on a sigh. “A lot of transgender people don’t have the support that I do, in terms of accepting parents, money, or the ability to travel overseas to find the experts. Healthcare in the United States is... a disaster, at best.” 

“Due to prejudice?” 

“All kinds of it.” Naomi grimaced. “And the people in charge of these matters tend to be narrow-minded bigots who despise anyone different than them. There’s a lot of hate in the hearts of these so-called Christians.” 

“The straight white men,” Vahid confirmed. 

Naomi huffed a laugh. “The straight white men,” she agreed. He’d been subject to a few rants by now, and the dragon had weathered the storms with grace. As it turned out, catching a centuries-old dragon shifter up on world events just re-ignited the indignant fury at the state of society that simmered within her. 

It was hard enough to manage supernatural relations, and the rising tensions in the human world brought an entirely new list of complications. Naomi had been attacked by humans for her race, her gender, her transition, her religion- the list went on and on and on. At least the supernaturals typically just came after her for her magic or role as a Sentinel.

The people in the supernatural world that  _ truly  _ hated her also happened to be humans- hunters that despised sparks, feared them for their power and role of power in the supernatural society. They didn’t like to be held accountable for their actions, for the atrocities they committed, and that was what the Sentinels represented. 

Of course, the Fae wanted sparks dead, too. But things were changing there, thanks to Darcy’s Fae Queen rising to power in the alternate realm. Naomi actually had hope for Jane Foster, and might even believe that the stubborn, dangerous woman would succeed in her goal of reining in the Fae world. 

And then Darcy and Stiles would have a pack of werewolves, hunters, a banshee, a kitsune, the Avengers, an alien God of Thunder, and a Fae Queen with endless power at their side. They would have the support and the allies to help them rebuild the Sentinels, to rebuild the world into something better. 

Movement flickered across the street, drawing Naomi from her thoughts. She straightened in her seat, alarmed, and saw Vahid snap to attention as well. “What is it?” He asked in a low, urgent voice. 

“I thought I saw a flash of light,” Naomi said with a frown. “Coming from the third floor.”

“We have not seen Darya yet,” Vahid muttered, scanning the street. He inhaled sharply and turned to Naomi. “And we would not have seen her, not if she has taken the soul of another person for disguise.” 

Dread settled across Naomi’s shoulders. “If she took someone else’s face, we wouldn’t ever be able to tell.” 

“And if she has their soul contained as well, she could slip through your wards.” 

“The ones I built specific to  _ her.” _ Naomi swore and snatched her bag up, tossing a handful of bills onto the table. “Let’s go.” They darted across the street and into the building, helped along by a burst of Naomi’s spark to shatter the door’s automatic locking system. 

Together, they sprinted up the stairs. Vahid followed her as she let her spark drift down the hallway, searching for any traps or lingering magic users. 

The door at the end of the hall was ajar. 

Naomi approached carefully, Vahid’s shadow growing larger and more menacing against the walls with every step. She concentrated for a moment, and a few seconds later a shield snapped over her and Vahid both. 

“Don’t break it,” Naomi whispered. “It will hold up to anything she throws at us.” 

“Thank you, نگهبان,” he murmured. 

Naomi scowled ferociously as she swung the door open. The inside of the apartment was wrecked, with smoldering spots and scorch marks that signified a brutal battle between opposing magics. “Don’t thank me,” she said tightly. “Looks like I let her slip right past me.” 

“Do not blame yourself,” Vahid said firmly. “She slipped past me as well.” 

The spark risked a step into the room, eyeing the remains of a lamp at her feet. A blast of magic had shattered it, and the pieces now smoked ominously. “Wait a second. I think...” Naomi crouched down, squinting with gold irises. “I think I can track her.” 

“How?” Vahid asked. He noticed her eye color and nodded. “Ah, you can see the remnants of her magic?”

“Traces of it,” Naomi said with a nod. “Enough to follow.” The leftover bits of Darya’s power were little pulses of white magic in Naomi’s vision, bright and distracting enough that she felt certain they could follow the traces left behind. 

Naomi tracked the path out of the back door to the apartment building and into the side street. She managed to follow the fading magical traces until they reached the edge of the district; Naomi halted and observed the construction site with trepidation. 

“Well, this is ominous.” 

“She could be anywhere,” Vahid agreed. “The path has faded from view?” 

Naomi made a face. “More like there’s too much scattered around now to find one single direction. And if I search with my spark, she’ll know we’re here.” 

“So we walk?” 

“Looks like it,” she said grimly. “No splitting up.” 

“We would cover more ground,” he responded, but there was no heat to the argument. 

“Didn’t you learn anything from Scooby Doo?” Naomi asked severely. 

Vahid cocked his head. “That was the cartoon dog, was it not?” Naomi nodded. “I liked that one.” 

A smile curled at the corners of her mouth despite her attempts to contain it. “I remember.” 

“It was very entertaining,” Vahid said quietly. His voice was low but light-hearted, a relief from the mounting tension as they explored the construction site. 

A vicious pulse of magic made them both stumble to a halt. “Just ahead,” Naomi whispered. “Stay hidden for now.” They crept forward, seeking any signs of wards on the half-finished steel frame of the building. 

Another surge of magic, a flash of white, and Naomi burst through the building frame and into a gap of space where Darya stood. The shade- Azita- drifted at the young woman’s back, monitoring the struggling witch at Darya’s feet. The witch was a young man with furious eyes, shackled with rune-covered cuffs that likely stifled any attempts at magic. 

“Darya,” Naomi called. The necromancer’s head snapped up and her face twisted with anger. 

“You must have a death wish,” Darya said with a hysterical laugh. The shade flickered in and out of sight behind her like a ghost straight out of a horror movie. “But to be honest, I didn’t expect you to give up so easily.” She made a quick slashing motion with her hand, and the sand and dirt blew away from Naomi’s feet to reveal a circle of ink-dark runes- the same runes that had trapped and drained Matthew. 

She felt the magic lock into place around her like a cage, shivered at the way it burned with every brush against her own power. But Naomi kept her calm, eyes on the ground, searching for those three crucial runes. 

“Get the witch out of here,” she said under her breath. Vahid hummed in response, still hidden in the shadows. She felt the warmth of him fade away as he slipped through the darkness towards Darya. 

“You’ve hurt a lot of people, Darya,” Naomi said, carefully turning her head a few inches to follow the circle of runes. “And I think you’ve learned by now that the magic you’re using takes more than it gives.” 

The young woman looked far worse than she had only days ago. Now she appeared one wrong move away from fading into nothing, as if the death magic had leached everything out of her and left behind only a mockery of a human soul. Grief and sheer desperation were the only things keeping her on her feet, by the looks of it. 

“It doesn’t matter,” Darya said roughly. “I knew the sacrifice going in. If I can just... I just need a little more time.” 

“Time to do what?” 

“Time to bring her back, for good. I know I can do it, I just have to-  _ No!” _ Darya shouted as a massive form launched out of the shadows. Vahid, shifted into an enormous dragon, snatched the wide-eyed witch up in one claw and sent them all tumbling with a sweep of his wings. 

Naomi climbed back onto her feet as Darya scrambled up, sending weak blasts of power after the dragon soaring away. The shade flickered dangerously, which drew Darya’s attention away from Vahid’s escape. She stared at the fading form of her sister for a long moment. The pause made the air stretch tight, as she appeared to have an internal struggle. 

Finally, Darya turned to face Naomi. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to do this.” 

“You don’t want to kill another spark?” Naomi asked doubtfully. 

Darya’s face dropped into despair. “I didn’t... I tried to keep you out of it. But you just... you wouldn’t leave us alone.” She scrubbed her face, swiping away the tears. “That dragon really loves you, you know. I could tell the way he acted when I had him. Even with a knife buried in his chest, even with his own magic fading away, he was still more afraid for you than himself.” 

“I- we don’t- we’re just-” Absurdly, Naomi found herself too flustered to manage a response. 

“He does. I can tell. My parents were like that. They loved each other the way he loves you, as if nothing else matters as long as you’re together. I… I didn’t want to ruin that. Not something as real as that.” 

Naomi choked on a disbelieving laugh. “Love is where you draw the line? You think those other people you killed didn’t have people that loved them, too?” 

“They did. I’m sure they did. But Azita is what matters. She’s more important.” 

“To  _ you, _ maybe. Why does that give you the right to prioritize your dead sister’s existence over the life of another human being?” 

“She’s more important,” Darya whispered, and Naomi saw in the woman’s face that this wasn’t going to end well. There was no more reasoning with her, not when she was so deep within the death magic’s clutches that lives became nothing more than pawns to her, nothing but means to an end. Magic like that fed off of every kill, every life extinguished. It would only grow more volatile, would draw Darya into an irreversible descent into madness. 

Naomi looked to her left, where those three runes bled into the dirt. “I’m sorry,” Naomi said, and reached for the three runes. She forced her spark into them, funneling enough raw power to break the loop connecting her own magic to the thin ties keeping Azita tied to this plane of existence. 

“No!” Darya screamed. She thrust out a hand, rage contorting her face. 

The circle exploded. Naomi was tossed aside like a rag doll, slamming painfully into the steel bars behind her. Even with her shield in place, the impact felt like getting hit by a train. She groaned and climbed gingerly to her feet. 

The runes, Naomi noted, were still in place. She wondered if it were even possible to get rid of the nasty marks without simply burning them out. A second blast knocked her into the frame again; she saw the shade drift forward with its distant gaze focused on her. 

But that blast of power had drawn everything the shade had to give. Azita faded further, until all that remained was a faint shimmer of space. Darya choked on a desperate plea, staggering forward until she could touch her fingers to the form. “Don’t, no no no, you can’t-” 

Naomi had only a second to brace herself, to shout a warning as Darya shoved all of her own magic into the shade. “Darya,  _ stop! _ You can’t give it your own magic!” The ties that existed between Darya and Azita- necromancer to raised spirit- were tenuous at best. 

But that didn’t stop the young woman, who offered everything of herself to keep her sister by her side. Naomi edged around the circle of runes as Darya dropped to her knees. Blood trickled from her nose and her body trembled violently as the shade slowly regained its form. 

“Darya,” Naomi said gently, standing a few feet away. “You’re using your own life force to keep her here. You have to stop, or else you’ll die.” She couldn’t intervene with her own magic now, lest it be latched onto by the shade or Darya.

“I have no one left.” Darya swayed as her voice cracked. “I don’t want to be alone anymore.” 

Naomi stepped forward in time to catch her as she collapsed. Darya’s eyes remained on the shade, her sister’s form still fading away despite what Darya tried to give. Naomi sat down hard, holding the young woman across her lap as the life faded from her. 

“Don’t leave me,” Darya weakly begged the shade. “Please don’t go. Azita, please.” She sobbed as the shade dipped down, fingers brushing the air near Darya’s cheek, and then disappeared. 

“Let go, Darya. You have to let her go,” Naomi said calmly, at odds with the fear and worry clawing at her. She could still feel the ties lingering between them, Darya sending every bit of magic and life she had to keep the shade tethered to her. “Darya, please let her go.” 

“I can’t. I already went too far,” Darya admitted weakly. She grasped Naomi’s hand tightly and finally turned her gaze to the spark’s face. “She’s gone, and soon I will be, too.” 

“You don’t know that,” Naomi said, a little desperate herself now. “Maybe I can help you. We might be able to get the death magic’s hold to loosen, enough to-” 

“No.” Darya was struggling to keep her eyes open. “No, I can feel it. There’s no going back now.” She smiled with bloody teeth at Naomi’s distraught expression. “It’s the price of this magic, for those of us not born to it.” 

Naomi was distantly aware of Vahid’s return, of the familiar sweep of dragon wings overhead as he circled back down to them. The shadow of his form fell across both women. 

Darya rasped a breath. “It’s not fair,” she gasped. “Everyone I love, dead. I tried to make it right, I wanted to fix what those monsters did to us.” She stared up at Naomi with wounded eyes. “Where were the Sentinels then? Where were you? We  _ needed  _ you.” 

Naomi felt tears sliding down her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry.” Vahid shifted and approached, radiating heat as he rested a hand on her shoulder in support. Darya stared up at the sky with empty eyes, the last threads of her life dissolving. 

Naomi gave herself a few moments to remember how to breathe past the ache in her chest, to collect herself, and then climbed to her feet to bury the young woman. 

 


	21. Darcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Brace yourself for a lot of action in this ch and 23 :)

**Darcy**

It was another week before they caught a break. 

Darcy paced the briefing room with Steve, Sam and Stiles standing in front of the board that the sparks had put together. Allison cleaned her bow in the back of the room, and the Hale siblings were lounging across the chairs beside the huntress. Bucky and Peter leaned side by side against the nearest table, arms crossed as they watched Darcy and Steve pass each other by again. 

“So, all Tompkins knew was that they had built some sort of hidden base to start rebuilding,” Darcy reiterated. Her shoulder brushed against Steve as they crossed paths again, both of their brows furrowed in thought. Bucky watched them with fond exasperation written all over his face. 

“Which is what all the money he funneled them supposedly went towards,” Steve continued. 

Stiles chewed at his thumbnail and squinted at the board. “You’d need a lot of money to bring in the equipment necessary for experimenting on supernaturals, not to mention just containing them.” 

“A dedicated wolf could break out of nearly any containment they build,” Cora added. 

“Unless,” Laura said with a scowl, “the hunters that joined them taught them about wolfsbane and mountain ash.” 

“We’ll consider that very likely,” Peter told his niece. 

“Assume the worst until proven otherwise,” Derek said with a nod. 

“You’re an optimistic bunch,” Sam said mildly. 

“So the money is being used for Hydra to rebuild their base, including the facilities to hold and experiment on supernaturals,” Steve said to get them back on track. “Can Danny or Tony track the money?” 

Darcy shrugged. “They’re trying, but it’s a tricky process. Danny said there are dozens of shell corporations to sort through. Burke has covered his tracks in that aspect.” 

Stiles snorted. “But he left his money man as a loose end.” 

“Natasha and Santiago are with him now,” Bucky said. “Maria’s overseeing things.” 

“They’ll get whatever he knows out of him. Nat’s the best there is, and Santi’s probably just as good.” Laura ignored her sister’s raised brow at the Alpha’s confident statement- after weeks of the woman dodging any and all questions about her relationship with the jaguar shifter, they were all overly curious. 

Derek mouthed _ ‘Santi?’  _ from behind her. Laura punched him in the thigh. Cora rolled her eyes at them both and pointedly turned her back on them. 

“I’ll bet that they already have a few supes,” Stiles said distractedly. “If they’ve been looking for as long as we think they have, then surely they’ve found someone.” 

“Especially if the hunters helpfully pointed them in the right direction,” Darcy agreed. “Too bad we can’t track wolfsbane or mountain ash.” 

“Why can’t we?” Sam asked. 

“It’s been kept too under the radar to manage,” Peter explained. “Mountain ash, especially.” 

“But,” Stiles said slowly. “We know that they’ll have to contain the supers. And we know that hunting families are helping them build their base.” 

Darcy straightened, catching on to his train of thought. “And we know hunters like to use electricity against the supers.” She caught Steve’s expression. “They have a history of using cattle prods, homemade tasers, electrical currents, and so on to torture werewolves and other shifters.” She darted to her laptop, tossed beside Stiles’s behind Bucky. 

Stiles hovered over her shoulder. “If you can find any evidence of excessive power usage, that’ll be the place.” 

“But where do I start looking? They could be anywhere.” 

“They’re close,” Natasha said from the doorway. Santiago and Maria stood behind her. “Tompkins wasn’t given exact information, but he’s met with Burke last minute in the city and realized they were building the base in the state.” 

“Right under our fucking noses,” Steve hissed. “Where?” 

“Upstate, most likely,” Santiago said. “If you consider the requirements for a pseudo-military compound.” 

Darcy typed as quickly as she could, flying through databases with Jarvis’s assistance. “What else?” She asked. “I need more to narrow this down.” 

“Recent foot traffic,” Bucky suggested. 

“Incoming and outgoing vehicles, excessive activity somewhere that used to be pretty quiet,” Sam added. “Construction would be one hell of a project, and not something that can be hidden.”

Danny burst through the door just then with Jackson at his back, laptop held above his head as he shouted, “Got it!” He did a double take when Darcy’s voice chorused with his own. 

“Upstate New York?” She asked, spinning her laptop around to show the screen. 

“Near the border,” Danny confirmed. “There’s a lot of open space up there, and one of Burke’s shell companies purchased a couple hundred acres last year.” 

“He’s pulling  _ four times _ the electricity and power that Stark Tower uses,” Darcy said. “That’s a red flag if I’ve ever seen one.” 

“I have records of the construction company, data from satellite imagery showing activity has tripled in the last couple months.” Danny tapped a few keys and pointed to the projection on the wall. “Plus, a basic blueprint from what I could pull from all of that.” 

“Jesus, it’s massive,” Peter breathed. 

Danny looked to Darcy. “I texted the group chat.” 

“Which group chat?” Darcy was personally a part of no fewer than thirty group texts- the joys of being in a pack of werewolves. 

“The main one,” Erica said, breezing into the room. “With fifty thousand people in it.” 

“What are you doing here?” Darcy asked, surprised as Boyd also entered the room. 

Boyd rolled his eyes at her. “We’re here to help.” 

Erica shoved a hand over Darcy’s mouth before she could speak. “Don’t argue. We’re here to help you finish this fight.” 

“And because what they’re doing can’t go unanswered,” Boyd added. “We aren’t going to sit by while people like this gain power and start a killing spree.” 

“Plus, Jane had to return to the Fae realm again,” Erica said. “So you’re down a fighter already.” 

Darcy frowned. She hadn’t heard from Jane since her friend returned to check on matters in her court, but time  _ did _ pass differently in the alternate realm. A few hours there was a couple of days here, she reminded herself. No need to panic. 

“Isobel is with Maya and Sophia,” Erica continued. “They’re visiting with Braeden, so Baby Boyd is perfectly safe. Noah’s with them, too,” she told Derek and Stiles. “He’s a little in love with Sophia already.” The men relaxed. 

Tony appeared in the doorway, Imani and Malik wide eyed but determined behind him. “I hear we have a hydra to kill. I vote we blow it up.” 

“Yes.” Sam raised a hand. “I agree. I like that plan.” 

“Get in here, Stark. You, too, Wells.” Maria shut the door behind them and turned to the group with a hard gaze. The room was filled with an urgent tension, all of them anticipating the upcoming fight. “We’re going to sort out a plan of attack, and then we’re going to tear them apart.” 

~*~ 

Darcy stepped cautiously through the dark forest, nerves lessened by the familiar setting. She felt at home in the woods after years of living in the preserve, years of running with wolves and adopting the forest as her second home. 

She walked alone, approaching the compound from the back. They’d discovered that the bulk of the foot traffic filtered through the rear entrance, which likely led to the facility’s holding cells. 

A red light blinked in the corner of her eye and she adjusted her position accordingly. The camera was only one of the many security measures she’d come across in her trek towards the compound. 

She broke through the tree line without pause and didn’t even blink at the multitude of guns pointed at her. The gathered group was a mixture of hunters and Hydra, one and the same now in Darcy’s eyes. The compound behind them was massive, which she could see the general, looming outline of thanks to the brilliant light of the moon overhead. 

“Don’t move!” One of them barked. 

Darcy raised a disdainful eyebrow. “Or what, you’ll shoot me?” 

“Of course not, Miss Lewis,” a slick male voice drawled from the back of the armed escort. Lukas Burke stepped through the small army with a pleased smile. “We would never harm a guest.” 

She pointedly eyed the compound behind him. “And how many ‘guests’ like me do you have locked up in there?” 

“None,” he said instantly. “Not a single one like you.” Greed lit his face up as his gaze passed leisurely over her body.  “I have a feeling that you are something I’ve never seen before. And here you are, willing and under no threat to come here.” 

Darcy shrugged. “I heard you were looking for me.” 

“Is that why you set off nearly every security measure in the forest?” Lukas asked. The men behind him didn’t lower their weapons, busy scanning the dark, empty forest behind her. “To let us know you’ve arrived?” 

“Something like that.” She wondered if the others had already infiltrated the compound, and reminded herself that she had a job to do before they finished. 

“So you’ve come to- what? Join us? I must say, Miss Lewis, that you would be... an exquisite partner in my endeavors. We could-” 

“Yeah, sorry, I’m not really interested in the whole ‘join me and we could take over the world speech,’” Darcy interrupted. “I don’t make time for Nazis, no matter how they like to dress up their white supremacy and general insanity.” 

Lukas looked momentarily taken aback, but not surprised. “I suspected Stark had gotten to you first,” he said tightly. “It’s a shame, really. But luckily for me, I don’t exactly require your complicity.” The weapons were all trained on her now, tension in the men holding them as they waited for the command. 

Darcy laughed, the sound sharp and jarring in the still night air. “Do you really think that I’m afraid of you? You’re a moron, Burke, one who doesn’t know just how outclassed he is.” She grew serious and looked the man square in the eyes. “I’m not going to let you hurt anyone else.” 

Lukas scoffed. “So you came here to stop me? What do you think you can do against this-” he gestured to the army watching- “alone?” 

Darcy couldn’t help the smile that spread, slow and dangerous, across her face. “Who said I was alone?” She spread her hands, letting her spark loose to light the woods with an eerie gold glow. Behind her in the strange light, enormous wolves slipped out of the shadows between the trees, their too-bright eyes focused on the men. 

A dark shape crept along the trees, the jaguar’s gaze fixated on Burke. Allison remained nothing but a shadow with Chris, armed to the teeth and aiming their own weapons at the Hydra agents. Imani kept close to her brother at the edge of the woods, guarded by a golden-eyed Stiles. 

Lukas Burke had suddenly lost his smug confidence. “What is this?” He backed away as Laura brushed against Darcy’s hip, red eyed and snarling. 

“This is the end of the line for you, Burke,” Bucky said as he materialized behind Darcy. “We’re going to cut the heart out of Hydra and end it for good.” 

_ “You,” _ Lukas breathed, eyes widening in horror. 

Bucky smiled with all of his teeth, a wolf’s grin. “Me.” 

“You were arrogant,” Darcy told Burke in a low tone. “Stupid enough to think that we wouldn’t protect our own. That we wouldn’t come for them.” An explosion inside the compound had the Hydra commander whirling around, stunned. “We’re going to tear this place to the ground, and you with it.” 

Her family surged forward, leaping fearlessly into the fray. Darcy gritted her teeth and maintained the shields around each of them, split evenly with Stiles’s help to protect them from harm. 

The fight became a bloodbath within seconds, the wolves tearing through Hydra and hunters alike as bullets deflected harmlessly off of their golden armor. Arrows went whizzing by Darcy’s head, interspersed with a banshee’s piercing scream that sent men to their knees. 

Bucky remained at her side, acting as her guard with Peter lurking close by to give her enough cover to focus. Imani and Malik worked in tandem at Stiles’s side, pulling any attackers under the earth as Maria fired dual pistols a few feet away. 

The comm in Darcy’s ear crackled to life. “The top level is clear, solnishka,” Nat’s voice said calmly even as another explosion sounded somewhere inside. “We’re moving to the basement.” 

“We’re moving that way, too,” Darcy reported. “Give us five.” 

“Better hurry, or you’ll miss all the fun,” Clint added. She could hear the grin in his voice and rolled her eyes fondly. 

Bucky cleared the space in front of them, sending Hydra agents crumpling to the ground. Burke was unconscious and bloody at Maria’s feet, held in place by Imani’s vines. The pack and Santi continued forward, heading for the open doors that led into the compound. 

“Ready, doll?” Bucky asked, reloading his gun in a smooth, practiced motion. 

“Yeah, we’ll just have to be careful inside,” she said, walking with him. “It might be too difficult to  hold a shield for everyone once they’re out of sight.” 

“I’ll pass it along,” Bucky reassured her. “You just focus on-” He cut off, twisting around to raise his weapon at something behind them. Darcy ended up peering over his shoulder to see the threat, shouting a command to stop when his finger squeezed the trigger. 

“Don’t shoot!” She said again, jostling him aside. Bucky caught the back of her utility belt and held her in place when she tried to move forward. “Bucky,” Darcy said, exasperated. “It’s a Viveox!” 

“Oh, shit,” he said. “From the Fae realm? How the hell did it get here?” 

Darcy risked a glance at the compound, feeling for the pack bonds to ensure everyone was safe. The ties of her pack members still thrummed within her chest, warm and vibrant. Relieved, Darcy returned her attention to the small creature. 

“Why are you here?” Darcy asked the animal, unsettled by its solid white gaze directed intently at her. Comprehension, followed by dread, sent a shiver down her spine. “Is it Jane? Is she hurt?”

A chirp in response. Darcy whirled towards Bucky, eyes wide and face drained of color. “Bucky-” 

He met her gaze with a worried one of his own, then frowned at a concerning loud scream from inside the compound. Darcy stood frozen, heart pounding, torn between her pack and her best friend. Bucky finally took a shaky breath after an internal struggle and touched her cheek with his fingertips. “Go,” he said, the trust and faith in her shining through his eyes. 

“I can’t just-” 

“Go,” he repeated. “She needs you, Darce. We’ve got this handled.” 

“You’re sure?” She had to ask, recalling the tension between them from all of her time spent in danger, his fear of losing her warring against his trust in her capabilities. 

“I’m sure.” He stepped forward, forehead pressed against hers. “Be safe. Please.” 

“I will,” she breathed. “I love you.” 

“I love you, too.” He kissed her, soft and sweet, and then backed away as she turned towards the Viveox. 

Darcy stared down at the alien creature. “I suppose you’re going to take us there?” She muffled a yelp when the Viveox shrieked in response and pressed against her legs. “Ready when you are, I guess.” 

She held her breath as the ground seemed to drop away with a low rumble and then, with a flash of white light, the world disappeared.    
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "Darcy couldn’t help the smile that spread, slow and dangerous, across her face. “Who said I was alone?” She spread her hands, letting her spark loose to light the woods with an eerie gold glow. Behind her in the strange light, enormous wolves slipped out of the shadows between the trees, their too-bright eyes focused on the men." < Favorite scene in this fic so far, tbh


	22. Naomi

**Naomi**

Naomi felt stretched thin, like her skin was too small to contain the riot of emotions inside her. Grief and failure settled over her mind like a sickening fog, weighing her down.

A soft touch on her shoulder brought her around. She tore her blank stare from the city lights of Tehran to find Vahid at her back. His silver eyes were kind, showing a depth of empathy and understanding that had Naomi swallowing back tears.

“There are some people,” Vahid said quietly, “that you cannot help, no matter how hard you try.”

“There are some people that could have been helped long ago,” Naomi countered, and then sighed loudly, annoyed with herself. “No, you’re right. I know you’re right. I just feel...”

“Like you failed her?”

“Yeah,” she murmured as he came around to lean against the railing, facing her. “But you’re right. She didn’t want my help, and the magic she was using had its claws in her for too long for her to break away from it.”

“And still you tried,” Vahid said quietly. Naomi ducked her head at the warmth in his voice, the way his admiration and respect for her made his voice soften. “You are the most honorable person I have ever known, نگهبان, and by far the bravest.”

“Vahid," Naomi protested. She felt too hot, suddenly, and shifted on her feet.

The dragon straightened off of the railing, bringing him into her space. They stood close now, inches apart in the cool night air. “Naomi,” Vahid said softly. She felt those silver eyes studying her face with intent.

Naomi steeled herself and looked up, met his gaze as the air stretched taut between them. Her eyes dropped helplessly to his mouth, at the way it tipped up on one side when she didn’t back away, didn’t back down.

She was a couple inches taller than him, but the sheer presence of the man made her feel enveloped in his shadow and warmth. Odd creatures, dragons. Or this one was, anyway. He had the strength and the ferocity to tear cities apart, and here he stood on the balcony, soft and admiring of the spark standing with him.

They had both lost loved ones, had somehow come back from that depth of grief that destroyed some- had nearly destroyed her. But, she reminded herself, she was going to lose him, too. And soon. Naomi tried to weigh the situation and her options rationally, but it was hard with those brilliant eyes watching her.

The tension was still building between them. Vahid was looking at her with concern now. This was the moment, Naomi realized. The moment that they would either fall together or break apart. And as much as she wanted to shield herself from what was going to be yet another staggering loss, she couldn’t bear to walk away.

Naomi turned her head and let her mouth brush against Vahid’s. She sighed when the tangled storm of emotions inside her quieted at the touch, at the way he kissed her back without hesitation. It felt right, and that above all else had her relaxing into the kiss.

Vahid’s hand slid around to cup the back of her head, the other settling carefully around her waist. Naomi had to grin at his caution and dragged her nails up his spine. Vahid hissed, his eyes flashing in the dark.

“You are certain?” He asked lowly, eyes hooded.

“I am,” Naomi said, lifting a brow in challenge. “Are you?” After all, it hadn’t been that long ago in his mind that he’d lost Roshan.

“More so than I have ever been before,” Vahid told her with a shy smile. Naomi’s smile softened at that, and she led him back inside to bed.

~*~

A knock on the hotel door roused Naomi from the deepest sleep she’d had in months. She lifted her head and squinted blearily at the door as Vahid growled low in his throat and rolled over to go back to sleep.

Another knock, but this time with a cheerful voice speaking through the door. “Daughter, wake up!”

Naomi’s mouth dropped open in shock at the sound of her father’s voice. “What the fuck?” She rolled out of bed, swearing quietly at the sight of their clothes scattered throughout the room.

She heard her father commiserating with someone outside, likely her mother. “She was always so difficult to get out of bed in the mornings.”

“Like waking up a dragon,” Aaliyah agreed. Naomi smothered a hysterical laugh as Vahid rose to his elbows, rumpled and sleepy as he stared at her in confusion.

“One second!” She shouted, tossing Vahid’s thousand-dollar wrinkled shirt into his face. He sputtered in surprise and yanked it away to glower at her.

“Get up,” she hissed. “My parents are here!”

“Your parents?” Vahid asked. He cocked his head curiously at the door. “How did they know we were here? Did you invite them?” His pants smacked him in the face seconds later and he rumbled in annoyance.

“Bite me,” Naomi shot back, and ignored his suggestive smile.

“Naomi?” Aaliyah said, amused. “Is there something we should know?”

“Yes, should we come back later?” Kachi asked, highly entertained if the note of glee in his voice was anything to judge by. Vahid coughed a quiet laugh as he made his way to the bathroom and shut the door.

Naomi rolled her eyes and yanked the door open. “You two are so embarrassing.”

“We try,” Aaliyah said modestly. She reached out to cup Naomi’s face in her hands. “You look tired, baby.”

“I’m okay, Mom.” Naomi smiled at her parents and let them into the room. Her mother eyed the pile of bags in the corner and then the closed bathroom door with ill-disguised interest. “How in the world did you two find me?”

“We were around,” Aaliyah said evasively.

Kachi nudged his wife. “We were not around,” he said wryly. “But we were worried.”

“And you found me here... how? And why?”

“Because we were worried about you, keep up,” Aaliyah scolded. “Remember when your last phone ended up in the Arabian Sea, we added your new one to our plan?”

“There is an app for tracking family devices, did you know that?” Kachi asked.

“We didn’t hear back from you, so we-”

“Stalked me to this hotel?” Naomi asked dryly, but she couldn’t fault them for their worry. After all, she had faced off with a necromancer and an undead spirit only two nights ago. “I’m fine, I promise.”

The bathroom door swung open then to reveal Vahid. He smiled charmingly at her parents, who both blinked in surprise at the dragon and his bright silver eyes.

“Mom, Dad,” Naomi said on a heavy sigh. “This is Vahid. He’s a dragon.”

Kachi’s eyes went laughably wide. “Dragons exist?”

“They do,” Vahid said, sketching a smooth bow that had Aaliyah smiling appreciatively at him. “It is an honor to meet the family of a Sentinel.” Something about his formal manner made Naomi think that, in his vastly different experience, this meeting meant something far deeper than what it appeared.

Aaliyah eyed her daughter. “Why don’t you two go find us some coffee? Vahid, if you would be so kind, my husband has about ten thousand questions for you.”

Vahid chuckled. “Of course.” He glanced at Naomi. “He will be safe with me.” Naomi nodded, biting her lip when Vahid slid past her in the narrow hallway. The dragon winked at her as he did so, his hand gently brushing her hip before he was gone.

There was a beat of silence after the men left the room and then- “Holy shit, where have you been hiding him?”

Naomi groaned and collapsed face-first on the bed. Aaliyah stifled a laugh, delighted, and sat beside her. “So, a dragon, hm?” Naomi’s answer was unintelligible, muffled into the mattress. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.”

“I said,” Naomi grumbled, rolling over to stare at the ceiling, “you’re the worst.”

“If you say so,” Aaliyah commented mildly. She glanced around the room. “Looks like you two had fun.”

“Yeah.” Naomi closed her eyes when her mother gently slid the back of her fingers along Naomi’s cheek.

“What’s wrong, baby? You’ve got that look in your eyes again, like everything bad in the world is your fault.”

“It’s been a long couple weeks,” Naomi said thickly. She swallowed back the tears and looked up at her mom. “Someone died because of... well, hunters. But Matthew let her down, and a girl lost her entire family.”

“And she came after you?”

Naomi peered up at her mother, wondering as she had for years whether the woman had some sort of telepathic power. “Yeah. Me and Vahid both, really. I’ll spare you the details, but it was bad.”

“You blame yourself?” Aaliyah shook her head and tsked her tongue. “Of course you do, what am I saying? You are Naomi, after all.”

“Hey!”

“I know my daughter,” Aaliyah said sternly. She sobered with a sigh. “And I’ve watched this world of yours tear you to pieces time and again.”

“Things are getting better,” Naomi told her. “Mostly.”

“Hate won’t ever fade entirely,” her mother warned. Naomi listened, aware of her mother’s experiences as a civil rights activist through very dark times. “I’ve seen it in many forms, and your world is just one more way for hatred to fester.”

“People don’t like different, and they don’t like change.”

“But we won’t stop fighting,” Naomi said, recalling the familiar statement.

Aaliyah sighed. “No. But I wonder if your supernatural world gives you too much to fight. We fight for equality in the human world, as do you, but you also have to fight to stay alive in the supernatural world. It’s a lot, maybe too much for one person.”

“I’m not alone anymore,” Naomi said, but the argument was weak.

“Ah, yes, your dragon.” Aaliyah smiled mischievously as Naomi protested.

“No, not just him-” the spark cut off as her wards flared at the end of the hallway. She levelled her mother with a warning glare. “They’re coming back, so zip it.”

“Oh, good, I have so many questions for him. Such a handsome man,” Aaliyah murmured.

Naomi huffed and muttered, “Ugh, don’t tell him he’s pretty, I’ll never hear the end of it.”

“I’m sure he already knows, baby, assuming he can see his reflection.”

“That’s vampires, stop mixing the species up!”

“So cranky,” her mother said with a grin as Kachi and Vahid returned. “Didn’t you just get laid?” Naomi dragged a pillow over her face with a groan.

~*~

“You can swim as a dragon?” Aaliyah asked hours later with delight. They were all four on her parents’ large boat, rocking soothingly on the open water and eating dinner that Kachi had cooked in the small kitchen below decks.

Naomi smiled at Vahid’s wary look at the dark sea. “We do,” he said, “though I admit it has been some time.”

“Did you forget how to swim?” Naomi asked with a teasing grin.

“No, but I find I do not trust the depths of the oceans.”

“Smart man,” Aaliyah said approvingly.

Vahid’s mouth tipped into a crooked smile. “There is also the question of what remains in the oceans from my time.”

“I’m not sure I want to know,” Kachi said. He let his wife spear a forkful of the seared fish on his plate.

“Dragons ruled the skies,” Vahid explained, gesturing towards the stars with his wine glass. “But we were not foolish or arrogant enough to assume control over the seas as well.”

“Why is that?”

“There were creatures in the water that could swallow a dragon whole,” Vahid said solemnly. “Enormous monsters so fast and vicious that the royal family declared the open ocean off-limits without a guard.”

“A guard?” Naomi asked curiously. “What on earth could possibly provide protection for a dragon?”

“You could,” Vahid murmured. His silver eyes watched her intently in the dim light. “You have already, نگهبان, have you not?”

“That’s different,” Naomi sputtered, even as her parents watched them with amusement.

“Is it?” Vahid asked. “Everything you have accomplished, every fight you have won, the protection you offer without asking anything in return... I am not certain you understand just how rare that is in a Sentinel.”

“Maybe not your Sentinels,” Naomi said stubbornly. “But those of us now wouldn’t abuse what we have.”

“Ah. Well, yes. Corruption tends to be a common trait in those with power,” Vahid admitted. “Seen throughout every version of history, and repeating itself in terrible ways.” He met her gaze, a challenge. “But you are very different from the نگهبان I have known.”

“Maybe it’s the centuries of time that have passed,” she said with a sarcastic edge. He narrowed his eyes at her, but she saw the fond smile curling the edges of his mouth.

“She has met her match,” Kachi stage-whispered. Aaliyah snorted a laugh.

“Rare few can be considered a dragon’s equal,” Vahid agreed.

Naomi kicked him under the table. “How humble of you.” He just trapped her leg between his calves and smiled serenely at her.

“You two deserve each other,” Aaliyah muttered. She rose to clear the table and Naomi joined her after a brief argument with Vahid.

“You’re the guest, sit down,” she finally said, exasperated, and shoved him back into his seat. Vahid puffed a ring of smoke after her in retaliation but obeyed.

The dishes clean, Naomi and Aaliyah rejoined them. Vahid stretched languidly in his seat, his shadow looming behind him. “I might need to fly,” he confessed. “I have felt rather contained the past few days.”

“I’ll cover you,” Naomi said, squinting up at the half-full moon. “But it should be dark enough that you can avoid detection.”

“You have my gratitude,” he told her seriously, and then leapt into the sky. Between one heartbeat and the next, he shifted into a black dragon and rapidly gained altitude.

“Incredible,” Kachi said. “Just... unbelievable.”

“You have stars in your eyes, baby,” Aaliyah informed her. “But would you care to tell us what’s got that frown on your face?”

Naomi realized she was watching Vahid fly away with her emotions written all over her face. She ducked her head until her face was under control again and glanced at her parents. “I guess I’m just trying to remember that he’s leaving soon.”

“Leaving? Where is he going?” Her father asked.

“Home,” Naomi said. “He’s going home, remember?”

“The City of Dragons?” Aaliyah asked. “Or following his people into the unknown?”

“Nia made it sound like they were gone. Wherever they are, it will mean that Vahid will be gone, too.”

“You are going to help him leave?” Kachi confirmed. “To get back home?”

“To leave you,” Aaliyah said in understanding. “He has to leave you in order to find his people again.”

“But you’ve been to Al Riyadmi,” her father said. “You’re a spark, so they would accept you, right?” Naomi stared at her father in confusion for a moment.

“I can’t just-”

“Go.” She turned to stare at her mother. Aaliyah had tears swimming in her eyes, but she stared at her daughter and said with an even voice, “Go.”

“You want me to go with him? To leave?”

“I don’t want you to leave,” her mother said thickly. “But baby girl, it’s time you did something for you. You deserve to have your own adventure, and you deserve to be loved again the way Alec loved you.”

Her father leaned across the table to grip her hand. “We have watched you suffer through your loss, and struggle with being alone in the supernatural world for years and years. We just... we want you to be happy, Naomi.”

“I don’t want to leave you behind,” she choked out.

“We’ll be fine,” Aaliyah told her. “We’re retired and enjoying our travels. But you have a whole life ahead of you, and we will always want what’s best for you.”

“I… I need to think about it,” Naomi said. She let her parents surround her with their ceaseless love and support and they all looked up to watch the dragon soaring high above in the starlit sky.


	23. Darcy

**Darcy**

She landed with a heavy thump that knocked the breath out of her and made her head spin dangerously. A small face blocked the sight of the ugly red sky above her, followed by a quiet chirp of concern.

“Did you have to drop us out of the sky?” Darcy croaked. She rolled carefully to her side, coughing, and then managed to rise to her knees. The spark took in the open field around her and felt her stomach swoop at the sight of the black ashes falling from low-hanging clouds.

The field looked like it had been burned to nothing, made all the more menacing by the blood-red color of the sky. Still forms littered the rolling hills of ash and bone, signs of a hard battle fought and lost.

The question was: who was the losing side?

The air was still. No sounds of fighting reached Darcy’s ears. The hair on the back of her arms stood on end at the horrible quiet, at the dead Fae and bloodied sky that was a premonition as much as it was a testimony to the death around her.

“Where is she?” Darcy asked. Her hands were trembling, she noted absently. Fear or rage, she wasn’t sure, not when everything was numb and her ears were ringing with the thought of her friend dying on these fields of carnage.

The Viveox made a horrible croaking noise from a few feet away. Darcy tore her gaze from the scattered remains of a dryad and then climbed unsteadily to her feet to follow the Fae creature. “Please,” she whispered. “Please tell me she’s not dead.” To lose Jane- no. No, she wouldn’t even consider it.

They walked for a few minutes, Darcy scanning every inch of the battleground that she could see until a terrifying scream echoed over the emptiness. She swore, long and low, and unsheathed her knives.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” she hissed. Her thigh ached, the scar throbbing with remembrance of the demon that had dealt the wound. Another scream signalled the Ak’ma’s approach as it caught her scent.

Spark hunters, magic eaters, demons from her worst nightmares. Coming for her once again.

“I don’t have time for this,” she snapped, but distanced herself from the Viveox. “Hide, you idiot,” she told it. “Or this thing will rip you apart.” It only croaked at her.

Her palms were sweaty. Darcy adjusted her grip on the knives and swallowed hard. She’d have to be fast- faster than she’d ever been before. The ground was uneven around her, littered with bodies and weapons that would be a hindrance.

Another scream, this one much closer. She bent her knees, crouching in preparation of the demon’s arrival. The Ak’ma appeared at the crest of the closest hilltop, outlined by the crimson sky. Darcy waited, felt sweat slide down her face, but the demon didn’t move.

They watched each other for a long moment, demon and spark glaring with immeasurable hatred. And still, the Ak’ma didn’t attack.

She understood seconds later when Jane clambered to the top of the hill to stand beside the demon. “Darcy?” She shouted, elated and fearful all at once. The Fae Queen was clad in battered armor, form-fitting black leather made from the nearly-indestructible hide of a flying predator native to this realm.

“Jane, what the fuck?” Darcy yelled back. Her throat went tight at Jane’s relieved sob and the desperation in the Fae Queen’s pace as she sprinted for the spark. Darcy staggered back a few steps as Jane threw herself bodily against her, dropping her knives so Jane didn’t impale herself on them.

“How did you know? Why are you here? I didn’t know how to reach you, couldn’t leave, either, and-”

“Jane.” Darcy edged back and gripped Jane’s shoulders. “What’s going on?”

“Mutiny,” Jane spat. “The Seelie Queen gathered all of the Unseelie Fae that weren’t too happy about the change of leadership. She staged an attack with them and her own people. We’ve been fighting for… I don’t know how long.”

Darcy pulled another blade out of a thigh sheath when the Ak’ma loped towards them and yanked Jane out of its path.

“Stop, Darce, it’s fine. I swear.” She placed a hand on Darcy’s arm as the spark eyed the Ak’ma. They shared a look of mutual loathing as Jane stood between them. “I have them under my control. Well, the ones that didn’t defect, anyway. Some of them willingly stayed under my reign, Darcy. They won’t come after you.”

“Not until my back is turned,” Darcy muttered, but lowered her knife. “How can I help?”

“Thor and Sif are trying to evacuate everyone to the palace,” Jane reported. She motioned for Darcy to follow her, pausing to let the spark gather her dropped knives and re-sheath the iron blades. “We’re trying to move as many of the court and remaining Unseelie Fae to safety there, but… We’re flagging, Darce, bad. I’m worried about our ability to win this fight when we can barely manage to hold the line.”

“It looks bad,” Darcy observed quietly. She motioned to the scattered bodies and charred earth.

“We were taken by surprise,” Jane said. Her mouth drew into a tight line, brows drawing together in an expression of pain at the sight of her fallen subjects. “I managed to gain us a few hours of peace, but I can’t hold out forever.”

They reached a shimmering wall that stretched farther than Darcy could see. Jane pressed her hand to the wall of power and it shivered briefly before parting like a waterfall to let them pass. Darcy inhaled sharply at the sight of the Fae behind the wall; nearly everyone was injured in some way, and they all had the blank, empty gaze that came from shock.

Eyes instinctively lowered in deference to their Queen as she passed, but Darcy saw hope light in many at the sight of the spark and Queen walking by with their dangerous, barely-contained fury. Darcy paused a few times to heal the deeper physical wounds of injured Fae, and they slowly made their way to the raised stone platform where Thor and Sif leaned over a rough sketch.

Thor brightened at the sight of them. “Lady Darcy!” He swept her into a hug.

Darcy returned the hug and assessed him and Sif for damage. Sif smiled tiredly in welcome, her sword leaning within arm’s reach. “Our injuries are minor, compared to others,” Sif told her. “Do not waste your energy on us.”

Since she couldn’t see any signs that said otherwise, Darcy nodded and turned her attention to the map. “What is this?”

Thor pointed to a thin, glowing line on the map, shaped in a rough circle. “This wall is our final line of defense, created from my Lady Jane’s power.” He moved his finger to the swirling mass a few inches outside of the line. “And this is the Seelie Queen’s army.”

“She’s waiting you out?” Darcy asked Jane, squinting as the mass representing the army seemed to grow larger.

“Just biding her time until I can’t maintain the boundary any longer,” Jane confirmed grimly. She swept a hand over her hair and wrinkled her nose when it came away streaked with blood and ash.

“Our concern is the lives of the people,” Sif said. “We could meet the Seelie Queen in direct combat, and might even defeat her, but her assassins can slip through the cracks and slaughter the citizens while we do so.”

“That’s what they did last time,” Jane said. She swallowed hard at the memory of the battlefield but didn’t stop. “Thor and I almost had the Queen cornered, but then the army went straight for everyone Sif was evacuating.”

“She’s got you pinned pretty nicely, too,” Darcy said with a scowl. “And she’s willing to let her own people die to get to you.”

“I’m sick of this,” Jane said quietly. “I’m tired of the fighting, and of giving any of them the benefit of the doubt.”

“It just gives them the chance to stab you in the back,” Darcy agreed. She studied her friend’s face, taking in the bruises and bloody scrapes along one cheekbone.

Jane’s hands clenched into fists on the stone table. “The problem is that we’re on the defensive with nowhere to turn.”

“Maybe not.” Darcy shared a look with Sif, who seemed to catch onto Darcy’s plan. “Not if we take the fight to her.”

Jane lifted her gaze to Darcy’s. “We?”

“You and me,” Darcy told her. “She’s been afraid of us for years, Jane. I say we remind her why.”

“You would do that?”

“It was always going to be us, Jane.” Darcy smiled, unafraid. “Let’s end this fight.”

Slowly, Jane smiled back at her. “Let’s.”

~*~

Darcy stared intently at the map for one last careful observation. Sif joined her, sword in hand as Jane and Thor said their goodbyes. “You’re sure that you and Thor can get everyone to the palace on your own?” Darcy asked again.

“We can,” Sif reassured her. “The two of us can guard the civilians long enough to reach safety.”

“The palace will be more defensible,” Darcy said, chewing on her bottom lip. “They’ll be safe there. Station the Ak’ma to guard the border; there aren’t many Fae that can get by them. And don’t come after Jane or me, no matter what. I’m not sure how this will go down, and I don’t want anyone caught in the crossfire.”

“We know, Lady Darcy,” Thor reassured her. He rested a hand on her shoulder. “Be safe, little sister.”

“You too, big guy.” Darcy hugged him awkwardly around his armor. “We’ll see you at the palace.”

“We will,” Sif promised. She hugged Darcy as well and then moved to help the Fae regain their feet.

“I’ll keep the wall up as long as I can,” Jane said again. “Long enough that you should be able to gain some distance.”

“And we’ll keep them occupied in the meantime,” Darcy said with a grin. She turned to Jane. “Ready?” Jane nodded and gripped her own sword tightly.

Darcy grabbed her friend’s hand, took a deep breath, and reached for the shadows. The darkness swallowed them whole, a chasm of emptiness that sucked them deeper and deeper until it slowed, recognizing the spark and the Queen held within its grasp.

Darcy fought to remain calm, reminding herself again and again where they needed to go. The darkness evolved, losing the menacing grip and turning softer, almost soothing. Jane made a low noise in her throat at the change.

The darkness found the shadows Darcy sought, and suddenly they were standing in the center of an army. The Fae only stared for a long moment, stunned.

“Well, we’re surrounded,” Darcy said evenly.

“Do you have anything useful to contribute, by chance?” Jane demanded.

“Don’t die?” Darcy asked. “This was the plan, after all.” Jane turned to look at her, and Darcy could see in the reflection of the Fae’s eyes how the color of her own turned liquid, as if an ocean of gold was sloshing around in the irises.

The army of Fae regained their composure, and attacked.

Darcy and Jane fought back to back, iron blades slashing through the air as the army closed in on them. Darcy lost track of time, surrendering to instincts as she fought with metal and magic alike.

She waited, waited, even as Jane was pulled away from her and into the open maw of the army. The Fae Queen fought fiercely, a swirling warrior who fought with her teeth bared and eyes lit with fury.

Jane shouted once, minutes or hours later, and Darcy whirled to see the Seelie Queen draw back with her teeth bared in a grin, her own knife dripping with blood.

Rage hit like an explosion, raw and feral. Darcy let her magic loose in a concussive blast that scattered the surrounding Fae like leaves in the wind. She fought her way to her friend as Jane straightened and staggered a step, one hand pressed to her abdomen.

Darcy shoved her hand against Jane’s neck and sent her magic funneling into the Fae’s body. The wound healed over. Darcy snarled a challenge at the approaching Seelie Queen, and then turned to Jane, who looked every inch the lethal Fae Queen she was. They shared a smile- it was time.

Jane reached for her, a cosmic storm in human shape. Darcy let her magic intensify, let it build and build and build until she thought she might scream with the strain of keeping it contained. Their hands touched, spark and Fae coming together as the army closed in around them and suddenly-

Everything was silent. Frozen. Infinite.

Darcy felt her lungs expand. A drop of blood dripped off of her blade only to hang in the air. The air was still, drawn tight with tension. And then-

The world exploded around them.

Energy rushed through Darcy, gravity and light and heat searing through her body. The world disappeared, and Darcy only saw golden lightning crackling through a cosmic sky, the burn of ozone in a storm cloud, a supernova erupting in a white-hot beam of power.

Time slowed. Darcy could barely breathe past the ferocity, the sheer destruction of their combined strength. The thunder of Jane’s magic, drumming through the air with all the ferocity of a hurricane. Her own power igniting with equivalent savagery that burned through the surrounding enemies.

Both of them, spark and Fae, releasing the restraints on their respective magics, coming together with the eternal trust and love they had for each other. They were everything the Seelie Queen had ever feared, vibrant and fearless and bringing the fight straight to her.

She’d unknowingly created her own downfall, had sent assassins that only brought the two women closer together, forged the depth of trust between them. The Seelie Queen’s magic shattered under the magnitude and fervor of their combined power, and the army cracked and fell to ruins soon after.

Together, they were the beginning and end, the might of the world contained in two human shapes. Boundless, fearless, infinite. And together, they created the world anew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very dramatic, I know. But I wanted the Darcy-Jane pairing to resolve the Fae problem together. Full circle, y'know?
> 
> Naomi's last chapter will be up tomorrow!


	24. Naomi

**Naomi**

“You love them very much,” Vahid said as they watched her parents sail away from the small Iranian port. 

“I do,” Naomi agreed. 

Vahid was silent as they walked back to the small hotel they’d rented for the night. Naomi didn’t speak, sensing that he was mulling over something sensitive. It was in the eyes, she’d learned. In the way the color glinted oddly in the sunlight, hiding as much as it revealed- if you knew what to look for. 

When she’d learned to read him so well, she didn’t know. But what mattered was the somber way he studied the passing city, how he effortlessly kept track of Naomi throughout the chaotic streets until they were back in their room.

Vahid moved to the balcony without a word, settling into the metal chair with slumped shoulders. She left him to his thoughts and sat cross-legged on the bed with her notebook. It was one of the few things that she had bought for herself in the last few weeks, spending a good deal of her available funds for the custom-made leather. 

Hand crafted by a gifted druid, the leather as smooth as silk, the leather-bound book seemed to hum quietly in her grip. Items made by those with magic had indescribable qualities; qualities that tended to take on a life of their own. 

This was the perfect gift for Darcy and Stiles. She busied herself with her task, compiling all of the information that her young friends would ever need to know. 

A few hours later, Vahid joined her. He watched her write without disturbing her until she finished and set the notebook aside. “What is it?” Naomi asked, wondering about the odd expression on his face. “Have you decided on a day to leave yet?” 

Vahid said nothing for a long moment as he studied her face. “I have not,” he admitted eventually. “ نگهبان. Naomi.” He shifted in his chair in an uncharacteristic display of uncertainty. “I have decided to wait. We will not return to Al Riyadmi now.” 

“Why not?” She asked, alarmed. “Vahid, this is so important to you. Why would you put it off further?” 

He looked down at his hands. “I do not wish to leave you behind, نگهبان. You have come to mean far too much to me. I cannot simply leave.” 

“Vahid.” Naomi waited until he looked at her again. “What if... what if I go with you?” Hope lit in those silver eyes she had come to love so dearly. She continued when he only stared at her, stunned. “We talked a little about it, but I think it’s time to step aside for the new generation of Sentinels. They’re ready, Vahid. Darcy and Stiles, they can both handle anything they come up against. They don’t need me by their side anymore.” 

“And your parents?” He asked quietly. 

Naomi’s mouth twisted into a wry smile. “They told me to go have my own adventure. And besides,” she said, growing serious, “If I let you go, I would spend the rest of my life regretting it.” 

“I know the feeling,” Vahid said. He took a shaky breath and reached over to squeeze her hands. “You mean it? You will come with me?” 

“I do,” Naomi told him. She squeezed his hands back. “I will.” 

~*~ 

It wasn’t so simple as packing up and leaving for Al Riyadmi. Naomi had goodbyes to say, affairs to put in order. She left her house to Darcy and Stiles, hoping they would find use for the home that had meant so much to her for all those years. 

Vahid flew her all over the world, to visit her brother and parents one last time, to collect a lifetime’s supply of hormones from a druid and doctor in New Orleans, to finally return home. The dragon was awed by her home and its tranquility. They spent a few weeks in the serenity of the house, learning each other in a whole new, deeper way. 

Her visit to Darcy and Stiles was tearful and just as difficult as the goodbyes to her parents. They’d become her family without Naomi ever noticing when. But she watched the young sparks, saw the unwavering confidence they had in themselves, and saw how they’d grown, how far they’d come from those scared kids on her doorstep. 

Only then, after Naomi had nothing left to say to her loved ones, did they return to Vahid’s lair so he could say his own goodbyes. She explored the piles of books as he knelt beside the tomb and murmured softly in a language she didn’t recognize. 

The two of them camped in the desert for one last night, “For old time’s sake,” she insisted. 

“Was it not three months ago?” Vahid asked dryly, but stretched out in the sands with a pleased groan. 

~*~ 

Al Riyadmi was easier to find this time, with their combined memory of the city and their past visit. 

Naomi and Vahid walked slowly through the ruins, hands clasped as they approached the dome. She adjusted her bag across her shoulder and followed Vahid through the dome and back to the Library of Soraya. 

Nia stirred to life at Vahid’s quiet greeting. 

“You have succeeded in your task,” Nia said with her steady gaze on Naomi. “Well done, نگهبان.” Naomi remembered Darya’s final gasping breaths and could only jerk her head in a nod of acknowledgment. 

Nia’s gaze slid to Vahid. “Brother, you return to find our people.” 

“I do,” Vahid said evenly. 

“And your Sentinel?” 

“She will remain with me.” 

“You are brave, to leave your life behind,” Nia murmured. Her eyes flared oddly in the dim light of the abandoned library. “Loyal.” 

“Dragons are... fond of those loyal to them,” Vahid explained in an aside to Naomi when the spark eyed Nia warily. “It is a highly valued trait in our friends.” Naomi eyed the heat in his own eyes and decided not to touch this topic with a ten foot pole. She hummed in agreement but otherwise tried to ignore the lust in their gazes for her loyalty. 

“Weirdo,” she said affectionately to Vahid, quiet enough that her voice wouldn’t carry. He winked at her in response and then returned his attention to Nia. 

“Sister,” he asked. “Where have the dragons gone?” 

Nia turned and walked away. 

Naomi and Vahid blinked at each other for a moment, baffled, until the dragoness turned to look at them over her shoulder. “Follow.” They trailed her through the vast library. Naomi was lost almost immediately, swallowed up by the massive shelves and piles of scrolls. 

At some point, she realized they were going down, circling deeper into the heart of the library. Nia and Vahid walked confidently through the dark; Naomi just kept a tight grip on Vahid’s hand and hoped she didn’t trip over anything. 

A soft blue light made her slow, then pause. They were so far beneath the surface that she felt oddly nervous- the ruins were too quiet down here, a soft hum of something with enough raw energy to freeze the air in her lungs somewhere ahead. 

“What is that?” She whispered. 

Nia halted and gestured ahead to a thin column of raw blue-white magic. It hissed and crackled like a live wire now, reacting to the dragons standing near. 

“When the dragons decided to leave this realm,” Nia said, her voice echoing eerily off of the high ceiling and stone walls. “The strongest of us came together, as one, and created a pathway between worlds.” 

“Holy shit,” Naomi breathed. “You made a gateway to another dimension.” 

“Volaris,” Nia said. The column of energy pulsed at the word, shivering in place like it might explode at any moment. “A new world, one where we could live in peace. Without the threat of the human race, which was growing larger and more violent with every passing day.”

“So you discovered another realm?” Naomi asked. “Or did you create one?” 

Nia shrugged, a graceful, fluid movement. Her dress rippled like water across smooth brown skin. “Perhaps a little of both. Our magic is not like yours, نگهبان. We do not control it the way you do. Rather, it is a part of us, an energy tied to our life force that can perform rare and miraculous feats of magic.” 

“But we do not wield our magics-  _ cannot,” _ Vahid added. “Which makes the gateway all the more incredible.” 

“So the dragons created a pathway to an entirely new realm,” Naomi said, a little breathless. “And they left this world behind.” 

“Yes.” Nia gestured to the gateway behind her. “This gateway only activates when a dragon is near.” 

“So we just step through it?” Vahid asked. 

“Oh, no, brother.” Nia looked amused. “You fly through it.” 

Naomi felt the grip of nerves in her spine. “Where’s the actual portal?” 

“High above,” Nia answered. “And only accessible by flight. This is merely the base of the portal, to ground it to the city.” 

Vahid frowned. “And those incapable of flight?” He noticed Naomi’s confused expression and explained, “Some dragons were unable to fly- small hatchlings, the elderly, and some who did not have functional wings in their shifted form. A few half-breeds that could not shift at all.” 

“Helped through,” Nia reassured him. “By the guard and the royal family, if not their own. None were left behind.” 

“Will the portal disappear?” Naomi asked. “If Vahid flies through it, will it fade?”  _ Will you? _ She wanted to ask, but didn’t want to bring up a potentially touchy subject. Nia smiled, though, like she understood the actual question. 

“Power like this does not simply fade away. And neither does a dragon.” Nia’s face was a blank mask, unreadable to both the spark and dragon watching her. “I will likely remain. After all, part of my own life is tied to the portal. I helped create it.” 

“You will guard this city forever?” Vahid asked, stricken. 

Nia regally inclined her head. “Until this world dies or the next begins. I have made my choice, brother. I sacrificed what I must for the sake of this realm, for our new realm, for our people. Your pity shames the gift I have given.” 

“Not pity, sister,” Vahid murmured. “It is respect, and eternal gratitude.” Nia smiled, and it was like a ray of light in the dark room. 

“Then go. Find them. Begin a new life, and remember the City of Dragons.” 

“Always.” Vahid bowed to her. Naomi followed suit, awe and respect for Nia rising almost painfully in her chest. 

“Safe flight, brother, نگهبان. May you see the light of Volaris and find your answers there.” 

“You will not be forgotten, sister.” Vahid bowed again, and they started the slow climb back to the surface. Nia watched them go, illuminated by the blue-white glow of the gateway. 

“If the portal remains here even if you leave...” 

Vahid nodded. “Then there is a chance we could return someday, if you wish.” Naomi felt better with the possibility spoken aloud, along with the suggestion that Vahid would bring her back some day in the future if she asked. 

“Are you ready, my love?” Vahid grinned, excited, and shifted at her nod of agreement. The dragon swung his giant head around to blink at her, tail swishing over the ground as his obsidian scales glinted beautifully in the sunlight. 

Naomi climbed onto his bag, securing their bags and tapping him on the shoulder once she was ready. Vahid rumbled and launched them into the sky. 

She had to create a shield around her and the bags when the wind nearly sent her toppling off of the dragon. They flew higher and higher, ascending rapidly through the clouds. The sun gleamed overhead, warm and comforting. 

Naomi looked down at Al Riyadmi, wishing she could have seen the city in its prime but still appreciating the beauty of the long-lost city now. Vahid roared, drawing her attention back to their surroundings, and Naomi gasped aloud at the sight of the gateway. 

It was a shimmer of air, like a gap in the universe that one could slip through and find themselves in between worlds. The same blue-white glow surrounded it, dangerous and enticing all at once. 

The dragon made a low noise, head twisting around. Naomi met his silver eyes as her own shining gold and smiled wide, a thrill racing through her body. “I’m ready.” 

Vahid swept his wings and, with an inescapable pull of energy from the gateway, dragon and spark entered their new world with a brilliant flash of light. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys are interested, I might post some stuff in the one shots about Naomi and Vahid's adventures in the dragon realm because I've done, uh, kind of an ABSURD amount of world building for it. That realm is my chance to write the high fantasy I've always wanted to- dragons, elves, dwarves, and humans all living in a seriously crazy world (floating cities, flying ships, political drama, you name it).
> 
> That said, I cannot thank you guys enough for all of your support and interest in my OCs... I know this has been Darcy's story all along, but I couldn't seem to leave Naomi's story out of this. You all continue to be the best <3


	25. Darcy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GUYS I am legit crying about the responses last chapter. Your constant support has meant the world to me, and I love every one of you ❤️
> 
> Here's an early update because now I'm emotionally compromised

**Darcy**

Tony was entirely immersed in his work when he heard the sound of the lab door sliding open, followed by Jarvis's quiet alert that Darcy had arrived. He turned to greet his daughter and found himself gaping instead. 

Darcy beamed back at him, covered from head to toe in soot and dirt. There were a couple of scrapes on her arms and her hair was an absolute disaster. Her clothes were so dirty and damaged that they would likely have to be thrown away- stains and rips like that weren’t salvageable, something Tony was all too aware of after years of being Iron Man. 

“What did you do, step on a land mine?” He asked her, hiding a smile.

Her grin widened. “Just a training run with the newbies. One of the new girls is a fire elemental Fae, and Imani and Malik had a practice run with her. I supervised. Sort of. Don’t ask.” 

“You’d better not let Pepper see you,” Tony warned. “She thought you were at your spa appointment all morning.” He could see by the deer-in-headlights expression on her face that she’d forgotten about it entirely. Affection for her rose, unexpectedly, and he was sure that all the love he felt for his newfound daughter was written all over his face. 

Darcy opened her mouth to respond, only to be interrupted by a huge crash from the corner of the lab. She clamped her mouth shut to stop the laugh at Bucky’s overly casual, “Oops.” 

Tony sighed loudly, but he was used to far worse from DUM-E and his well-meaning catastrophes. And anyway, he’d come to genuinely like Barnes. Tony  _ liked _ that the super soldier was curious, that he enjoyed taking things apart. Barnes never doubted the possibilities, would touch and break and fix everything he could get his hands on. 

And he was so impossibly in love with Darcy that Tony couldn’t  _ not  _ like the man. Even after everything, after their tangled past and the hurt they’d caused each other. Barnes was a good man- not good enough for his daughter, but then, she  _ was  _ a Stark. Lewis by birth, Hale by choice, but a Stark by blood. 

Barnes sauntered over, shooting one last guilty look over his shoulder. DUM-E raced after him, pinching the back of Barnes’s thigh when the man stood in the little bot’s way. “I told you to quit doin’ that,” Barnes grumbled as Darcy laughed at him. 

“C’mon, babe, we have lunch with Jane and Thor.” She reached out for him, smiling when he slid his hand into hers. Barnes simply raised a brow at her appearance. 

“I hope you’re showering first,” he said. “You look like you’ve been fightin’ inside a chimney.” 

“I am,” Darcy said with a coy glance from underneath her lashes. “That’s why I came to get you first.” 

“No!” Tony said loudly. “Don’t do this here, not in my lab. Out!” He shooed them away even as Darcy cackled at the pained expression on his face. “I don’t want to hear this, go away!” 

“Sorry, dad!” Darcy called over her shoulder, and dragged Barnes out the door. Tony froze in the sudden silence of the lab, heart squeezing, and then, because he was alone and there was no one there to see it, he smiled to himself. 

If he was a little teary-eyed, too, well… there was no one there to prove it. 

~*~ 

Darcy set her drink down on the table with a thud at the horrified expression on her brother’s face. “What? What is it?” Her mind flashed through a list of potential threats- werewolves, ghouls, rogue vampires- as Derek took her glass and drained it. 

“I just walked in on Laura and Santiago,” he said, pained. 

The tension disappeared all at once from her body. “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” she said irritably. “I thought it was something serious.” Erica was breathless with hysterical laughter at her side. 

“You didn’t see what I just saw,” he snapped. Derek looked around with a grimace. “Where’s the wolfsbane liquor? I need to burn this from my memory.” Boyd helpfully pointed to the bar across the Stark tower common room and watched in amusement as Derek staggered desperately towards it. 

“What a baby,” Erica said, still laughing. Derek just held up a middle finger in response, already across the room with a bottle in hand. 

Noah and Stiles were nearby, sitting with Scott, Kira, and Isaac. They were joined shortly by Talia and Andrew. Talia hadn’t set Isobel down once the entire evening, and had doted on the youngest pack members since her arrival three days ago. 

Cora played a vicious tournament of pool against Maya, Sophia, and Clint. Sophia was apparently thrashing them all, judging by Clint’s baffled and incredulous faces. Jackson and Danny sat with Maria, Allison, and Sam, Steve and Julian rejoining them with an armful of drinks. 

Pepper managed to convince Talia to temporarily release her hold on Isobel and soon had Noah clinging to her as well. Peter, Chris, and Bucky were muttering together with Tony in the corner, a group that Darcy made a mental note to keep an eye on. Thor’s voice boomed across the room, telling wild and possibly inaccurate Asgardian stories to a wide-eyed Noah. 

Darcy frowned, noting a couple of significant absences. She made her way to Jane’s lab, weaving through the hallways towards her friend. Lydia and Jane looked up at her entrance, dressed for the party but hunched over plans for their shared realm. 

“The Seelie Queen and the Unseelie Queen,” Darcy mused. “You think the Fae with those two titles have ever been friends?” 

“Doubtful,” Lydia, the newly appointed Seelie Queen, said with a graceful sweep of her red hair. Green eyes flickered with the banshee’s enhanced power. Lydia had taken to being a queen with ease, something that surprised exactly no one. 

A Viveox scampered across the lab, chasing a bug. It pounced and caught the insect with a loud crunch, carrying it over to present it proudly to Darcy. “That’s disgusting,” she told the little Fae. “You’re lucky you’re cute.” 

Jane snorted a laugh, drawing Darcy’s attention again. “I’m here to drag you two to the party,” she said, hands on her hips. Darcy narrowed her eyes dangerously when they started to protest. 

Lydia caved first with a roll of her eyes. “Oh, fine. I suppose this can wait. It’s only a discussion regarding the rule of an entire realm.” 

“Uh huh,” Darcy said, unimpressed.  _ “I _ suppose it can wait, too.” Lydia’s mouth curved into a smile, the banshee always appreciative of returned snark, as she glided out of the room. 

“We’re making a lot of progress,” Jane told the spark brightly. “Things are different there.  _ Good _ different, for once.” 

Darcy eyed the shimmer of space behind Jane. “I’d hope so, considering you’ve opened a portal to the Fae realm in your lab.” 

“It’s easier to jump back and forth this way,” Jane said absently. “I’ve been taking a few instruments over, too, to get astrological readings from the Fae realm.” She looked up, grinned at Darcy. “I’ve been comparing them to our own. It’s incredible, Darce. Just incredible.” 

“You know what’s also incredible? All the food and drinks upstairs. C’mon, Jane, it’s practically your party.” 

“It is not,” Jane argued, but followed Darcy back down the hall. “It’s a celebration of Hydra’s destruction and the end of the old Seelie Queen’s reign.” 

“We’re celebrating the start of a new world,” Darcy reminded her. “For _both_ worlds. It counts.” She tugged Jane over to Erica, who wouldn’t let the Fae escape the party again. 

Darcy caught Stiles’s eye across the room. They shared a small smile. They’d both understood Naomi’s decision to go with Vahid, but it was always hard to let go of the ones you loved. They would treasure every memory of their mentor and friend- and would certainly helped be by the parting gift the spark left them. The leather notebook contained more knowledge and magical information than Darcy could ever imagine. It would go a long way towards helping the Sentinels rise again. 

Still, they would miss her.

Peter brought her a drink soon after she’d slipped through the open doors and onto the balcony for a moment of quiet. Her father wrapped an arm over her shoulders, drawing her close. “Have I told you lately that I’m proud of you?” 

“Only every day,” Darcy said, but she was smiling. “It’s a little weird that my dads are proud I’ve been in so many fights lately.” 

“But they were important fights, darling. Noble, even,” Peter told her. “And that makes all the difference.” 

They studied the group inside, a mingle of Avengers and pack alike. “Look what you’ve done,” Peter said, gesturing to the people inside. “You’ve brought us all together.” 

“It wasn’t just me,” she protested. 

Peter sighed. “You know, the best thing that ever happened to me was that night you came into our lives.” 

“Dad,” Darcy said, blinking back tears. “Mine, too.” 

“I never thought that we could become what we are today, the way our family and pack has grown and changed, and so much of that is because of you. You’re a gift to us all, Darcy, and we love you very much.” 

“Have you been drinking?” She asked, swiping at the wetness on her face. 

“You know wine makes me emotional,” he grumbled. 

“And weepy,” Chris said from the open doorway, amused. “C’mon, let’s get you inside.” Chris pressed a kiss to Darcy’s hair when Peter just held her tighter, and said, “We are proud of you, you know.” 

“I know,” Darcy whispered back. “I’m proud of you, too.” Chris patiently led a resisting Peter back inside. Darcy watched them go with amusement. 

Bucky appeared a moment later, eyeing Peter for a moment over his shoulder. “He cried on me earlier.” 

Darcy laughed, even as she wiped the tears off of her own face. “About what?” 

“Love, and pack, and something about grandchildren.” Bucky looked down at her with laughing blue eyes and slid his arms around her. “I didn’t ask for clarification.” 

“Probably for the best,” Darcy agreed. She leaned into him, content, and watched her family and friends. “We’ve come so far,” she said quietly after a few minutes of comfortable silence. “All of us.” 

“We have.” Bucky held her from behind and propped his chin up on her head. “Any regrets?”

She looked at her family, thought of their unwavering love and support through years of danger and trial, the way they bickered and fought and lovde each other so very, very deeply. The father she’d found, and the one she’d had all along. The man she’d fallen in love with, her partner and equal. Someone who challenged her, inspired her, who’d become part of her home. 

“Not one,” Darcy said firmly. “I wouldn’t change a single damn thing.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand it's done! This might have been my favorite part of the series to write, and thank you all for sticking with it (and me). I'll keep updating the oneshots after a short break for the holidays, so it isn't the end of this verse yet. 
> 
> See you soon, and have a wonderful holiday!


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